I’d be shocked if they put that much thought into it. It’s probably just good old unconscious ethnocentrism. Jesus is white because I’m white and that’s my default setting to view the world.
There’s quite a bit of evidence they knew what other people looked like. Western Christianity goes big in Italy and they have regular trade contact with the Levant and Northern Africa.
That trade contact comes to the entirety of Europe thanks to the Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire.
I’d be shocked if they put that much thought into it. It’s probably just good old unconscious ethnocentrism. Jesus is white because I’m white and that’s my default setting to view the world.
Or because at that time they only knew white people so they assumed he looks like a person.
It doesn’t even have to be some subconscious ethnocentrism. It could just be someone painting what they know people to look like.
There’s quite a bit of evidence they knew what other people looked like. Western Christianity goes big in Italy and they have regular trade contact with the Levant and Northern Africa.
That trade contact comes to the entirety of Europe thanks to the Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire.
Nope! Renaissance painters just really liked their white twink lovers and used them as their models
Do we have evidence the Renaissance white washed the Bible? Or were they just enthusiastically following what was already the idea?
historical versus final purpose :)
Pulling out the Aristotle, wow.
thanks i guess lol, i was pretty young when i first heard it and it’s a pretty useful model so i like to share :)