Invenzione e fantasia: The (Re)birth of imagination in renaissance art

The notion of imagination is central to our contemporary western conception of and valuing of art. Yet the conception of imagination upon which this valuing rests is based on certain assumptions about art-making and about persons. Imagination refers to the creation of an idea or artifact from the mind of the creator. That a work of art arises from the imagination of an artist is thus taken to mean that the work is a reflection of the person's individuality, an authentic product of the artist's inner being. As such is will be marked by originality since each person is unique. There is, moreover, a belief that external constraints on the imagination of the artist are inhibiting and that she should be free to express her visions or emotions without constraints. Historically, however, the centrality of imagination viewed in this way has been the product of gradual development. This paper examines one particularly important moment in this development, that is, the Renaissance in Italy. By examining the changes in the nature, practice, and conception of art during this period, the paper probes the changing assumptions about the connection between imagination and art. © Springer 2006.