113

Language as reason represents the unifying theme of this multifaceted re-

flection on Eddo Rigotti’s scientific contribution offered by his students and
colleagues on the occasion of his seventieth birthday. Spanning argumenta-
tion theory, linguistics, psychology, semiotics and communication scienc-
es, the volume reflects Rigotti’s generous personality and his trajectory of
semiotician, philosopher, linguist and specialist in argumentation studies.
Language as an instrument of communication with semiotic peculiarities is
considered at different levels in which it manifests traces of reason at work.
This means considering how reality reveals itself by means of language
and how the semiotic character of language structures is used by people to Language, reason

Language, reason
enable joint actions and change the natural and social world. Particularly
in focus is the realm of argumentation, that is of those joint actions where
and education

and education
people exchange reasons in various communities, fora and markets in view
of understanding and practical deliberation. To argumentation Eddo Rigotti
devoted all his research efforts in recent years, with a keen sense of its in-
trinsic educational value and a sincere care for fostering the development of
the argumentative mind.
Studies in honor of Eddo Rigotti

Giovanni Gobber & Andrea Rocci (eds.)

Giovanni Gobber studied Germanic and Slavic Linguistics. He is professor of
German Linguistics and General Linguistics at the Catholic University of Milan.
His research interests include the meta-theory of syntax, comparative functional
linguistics and pragmatics. Giovanni Gobber & Andrea Rocci (eds.)

Andrea Rocci studied Italian Linguistics, Pragmatics and Discourse Analysis.

He is associate professor of Language Sciences at the University of Lugano. His
research interests include argumentation, the semantics-pragmatics interface,
media discourse and financial discourse.
Peter Lang

ISBN 978-3-0343-1554-8

Peter Lang
www.peterlang.com
$SRVVLEOHUHÁHFWLRQRI WKHSDLQWHU-DQYDQ(\FNLQ
the Ghent Altarpiece
BORIS USPENSKIJ, 1DWLRQDO5HVHDUFK8QLYHUVLW\´+LJKHU6FKRRORI 
(FRQRPLFVµ0RVFRZ

2QHRI WKHPRVWIDPRXVSDLQWLQJVRI -DQYDQ(\FNLVXQGRXEWHGO\´7KH

$UQROÀQL3RUWUDLWµRI WKH/RQGRQ1DWLRQDO*DOOHU\ÀJ1. This
LVDOVRRQHRI WKHPRVWLQWHUHVWLQJSLHFHVRI DUWIURPWKHSRLQWRI YLHZ
RI VHPLRWLFVEHFDXVHLWVHHPVWRKDYHVHYHUDOOHYHOVRI PHDQLQJZKLFKLV
FKDUDFWHULVWLFRI 9DQ(\FN:KHQ,ZDVWHDFKLQJLQ/XJDQRLWZDVQDWXUDO
for me to choose this picture as an object of analysis for my seminar on
the semiotics of art.
7KHSDLQWLQJUHSUHVHQWVDPDUULHGFRXSOHZKRFDQEHUHFRJQL]HGDV
WKH,WDOLDQPHUFKDQW*LRYDQQL$UQROÀQLDQGKLVZLIH7KH\DUHSLFWXUHG
LQD)OHPLVKURRPSRVVLEO\DWWKHLUKRPHDW%UXJHVRQWKHZDOOEHKLQG
WKHPWKHUHLVDFRQYH[PLUURU7KHUHÁHFWLRQLQWKHPLUURUFRYHUVPRUH
WKHQ ZKDW LV VKRZQ LQ WKH SDLQWLQJ LQ WKH PLUURU RQH FDQ VHH WKH WZR
UHSUHVHQWHGÀJXUHVVKRZQIURPDQRSSRVLWHYLHZSRLQWFRQWUDU\WRWKDW
RI WKHREVHUYHU5HÁHFWHGLQWKHPLUURUZHVHHWKHEDFNVRI WKHPDUULHG
FRXSOHDQGEHVLGHVLQIURQWRI WKHVHWZRÀJXUHVLHGHHSHULQWKHPLUURU
VSDFHLWLVSRVVLEOHWRVHHWZRRWKHUPHQVWDQGLQJLQWKHGRRUZD\ZKRDUH
QRWUHSUHVHQWHGLQWKHSLFWXUHÀJ7KH\GRQ·WEHORQJWRWKHUHSUHVHQWHG
reality, they are outside the picture space. We do not see them depicted,
EXW ZH VHH WKHLU UHÁHFWLRQV 7KLV LV RQH FRXOG VD\ D GLIIHUHQW OHYHO RI 
pictorial reality.

1 About this picture see, in particular, Panofsky, 1934; Dhanens, 1980, p. 193–205
LOOXVWUDWLRQVDQG6HLGHO+DOO
302 Boris Uspenskij

Fig. 1
$SRVVLEOHUHÁHFWLRQRI WKHSDLQWHU-DQYDQ(\FNLQWKH*KHQW$OWDUSLHFH 303

Fig. 2
304 Boris Uspenskij

7KHSRVLWLRQRI WKHVHWZRSHUVRQVZKRDUHUHÁHFWHGLQWKHPLUURU

ZKLOH QRW EHLQJ GLUHFWO\ YLVLEOH DFWXDOO\ FRLQFLGHV ZLWK WKH SRVLWLRQ RI 
D VSHFWDWRU ZKR LV REVHUYLQJ WKH VFHQH IURP RXWVLGH DQG DOVR ZLWK WKH
SRVLWLRQRI DSDLQWHUZKRLVGHSLFWLQJWKHVFHQHWKLVLVRQHDQGWKHVDPH
SRVLWLRQ,WLVSUREDEOHWKDWWKHVHDUHWKHÀJXUHVRI WKHSDLQWHU-DQYDQ
(\FNDQGKLVDVVLVWDQW7KHSDLQWHUVHHPVWRGHPRQVWUDWHKLVSUHVHQFHLQ
WKHGHSLFWHGVFHQH+HLVRXWVLGHWKHSLFWRULDOVSDFHEXWQHYHUWKHOHVVKH
EHORQJVWRWKHUHSUHVHQWHGZRUOG+HLVERWKDSDLQWHUDQGDZLWQHVVRI WKH
VFHQHLQTXHVWLRQ7KLVFRUUHVSRQGVWRWKHLQVFULSWLRQRQWKHZDOODERYH
WKHPLUURULQWKH$UQROÀQLURRPDUHSUHVHQWDWLRQRI DQLPDJLQHGJUDIÀWWR
´-RKDQQHVGH(\FNIXLWKLFµÀJ7KHLQVFULSWLRQLVVRPHZKDWDP-
ELJXRXVLWPD\PHDQHLWKHU´-DQYDQ(\FNZDVKHUHµRU´-DQYDQ(\FNZDV
WKLVPDQWKHRQHUHÁHFWHGLQWKHPLUURUµ,QGHHGWKHZRUGhic, generally
VSHDNLQJPD\EHXQGHUVWRRGHLWKHUDVDSURQRPLQDODGYHUE´KHUHµRUDV
DGHPRQVWUDWLYHSURQRXQ´WKLVµ,QWKHÀUVWFDVHWKHLQVFULSWLRQDSSHDUV
as a representation of a JUDIÀWWRPDGHRQDZDOOVLPLODUWRJUDIÀWWLZHFDQVHH
RQURFNVDQGUXLQV,QWKHVHFRQGFDVHWKHLQVFULSWLRQLVFRUUHODWHGZLWK
WKHUHÁHFWLRQLQWKHPLUURULGHQWLI\LQJYDQ(\FNZLWKWKHPDQUHÁHFWHGLQ
WKHPLUURU,QERWKFDVHVZKDWZHVHHLVDVLJQDWXUHRI WKHSDLQWHU7KH
ÀUVW LQWHUSUHWDWLRQ FRUUHVSRQGV WR WKH /DWLQ XVDJH WKH VHFRQG RQH SUH-
VXSSRVHVDV\QWDFWLFLQYHUVLRQ+HQFHWKHÀUVWUHDGLQJPLJKWVHHPPRUH
SUREDEOH+RZHYHUWKHVHFRQGRQHFDQQRWEHH[FOXGHGZHGRQRWNQRZ
LQGHHGZKHWKHUYDQ(\FNZDVDTXDOLÀHGODWLQLVWZLWKDJRRGNQRZOHGJH
of Classical Latin.
7KH XVH RI  UHÁHFWLRQ DV D VLJQ RI  WKH SDLQWHU·V SUHVHQFH VHHPV WR
EHFKDUDFWHULVWLFRI -DQYDQ(\FN,QGHHGZHFDQÀQGDVLPLODUGHYLFHLQ
DQRWKHURQHRI KLVSDLQWLQJVYL]´7KH9LUJLQDQG&KLOGZLWK&DQRQYDQ
GHU3DHOHµ²IURPWKH6WHGHOLMN0XVHXPYRRU6FKRQHǗXQVWHQ
*URHQLQJHPXVHXPLQ%UXJHVÀJ
+HUHRQHVHHV6W*HRUJHSDWURQRI &DQRQ*HRUJHYDQGHU3DHOHLQWUR-
ducing the Canon to the Virgin and the Child. On the armour and the helmet
RI 6W*HRUJHYDULRXVÀJXUHVDQGREMHFWVWKDWZHFDQVHHLQWKHSLFWXUHDUH
UHÁHFWHGWKH\DUHDUHÁHFWLRQRI WKHGHSLFWHGUHDOLW\6LPXOWDQHRXVO\RQWKH
VKLHOGRI 6W*HRUJHRQHFDQWUDFHWKHUHÁHFWLRQRI DVPDOOÀJXUHZKLFKLV
H[WUDQHRXVWRWKHGHSLFWHGUHDOLW\WKHÀJXUHLVREYLRXVO\RXWVLGHWKHSLFWRULDO
$SRVVLEOHUHÁHFWLRQRI WKHSDLQWHU-DQYDQ(\FNLQWKH*KHQW$OWDUSLHFH 305

Fig. 3

VSDFHÀJ2,WLVKLJKO\SRVVLEOHDJDLQWKDWWKLVLVDUHÁHFWLRQRI WKHSDLQWHU

LH-DQYDQ(\FN7KHUHÁHFWLRQXQGHUGLVFXVVLRQDSSHDUVHYHQPRUHFOHDUO\
LQWKHFRS\RI WKLVSLFWXUHPDGHE\DGLVFLSOHRI YDQ(\FNQRZEHORQJLQJWR
DWWKH.RQLQNOLMN0XVHXPYRRU6FKRQHǗXQVWHQLQ$QWZHUSÀJ3.
$V LQ ´7KH $UQROÀQL 3RUWUDLWµ WKLV LV D UHÁHFWLRQ RI  D UHDO QRW
GHSLFWHGÀJXUH+RZHYHULQWKLVFDVHWKHUHÁHFWLRQRI WKHÀJXUHLQTXHV-
tion is not directly visible: the painter does not publicly declare his pres-
HQFHDVKHGLGRQWKHFRQWUDU\LQ´7KH$UQROÀQL3RUWUDLWµ7KHUHÁHFWLRQ
is a sign of his presence, a sort of symbolic presence: the painter is there,

 6HH&DUWHUSDQGWDEOH)DUPHUS²DQGWDEOH%HOWLQJ 
.UXVHWDEOHǾ3DQRIVN\,ǾQRWHUHIHUULQJWRS
3 See Carter, 1954, p. 61, note 4; Farmer, 1968, p. 159–160 and table 6; Šebková-Thaller,
SDQGLOOXVWUDWLRQ
306 Boris Uspenskij

Fig. 4
$SRVVLEOHUHÁHFWLRQRI WKHSDLQWHU-DQYDQ(\FNLQWKH*KHQW$OWDUSLHFH 307

Fig. 5
308 Boris Uspenskij

HYHQLI WKLVLVQRWHYLGHQWIRUWKHVSHFWDWRUXQOHVVWKHODWWHULVHTXLSSHG

ZLWKDPDJQLI\LQJJODVV
7KHVHWZRH[DPSOHVDUHUHODWLYHO\ZHOONQRZQ´7KH$UQROÀQL3RUWUDLWµ
LVIUHTXHQWO\GLVFXVVHGDQGDOVRWKHUHÁHFWLRQLQ´7KH9LUJLQDQG&KLOGZLWK
Canon van der Paele” is sometimes mentioned in the scholarly literature. The
DLPRI WKHSUHVHQWSDSHULVWRVXJJHVWDWKLUGH[DPSOHZKLFKWLOOQRZKDV
QHYHUEHHQDQREMHǾWRI DWWHQWLRQ,WVHHPVWKDWRQHFDQREVHUYHDVLPLODU
SKHQRPHQRQRI UHÁHFWLRQLQWKH*KHQW$OWDUSLHFHE\WKHEURWKHUV+XEHUW
DQG-DQYDQ(\FNWKHÀQDOYHUVLRQRI ZKLFKREYLRXVO\EHORQJVWR-DQ
,QWKHFHQWUDOVFHQHRI WKH$OWDUSLHFH³WKHVFHQHRI WKH$GRUDWLRQ
RI WKH0\VWLFDO/DPE³WKHWUDQVIRUPDWLRQRI WKHEORRGRI WKH3DVFKDO
/DPELQWRZDWHUWKH:DWHURI /LIHLVGHSLFWHGÀJ7KLVLVWKHVRXUFH
RI /LIHIRQVYLWDHRI WKH%RRNRI 5HYHODWLRQ

Fig. 6

2QWKHSLFWXUHRQHVHHVWKH)RXQWDLQRI /LIHIURPZKLFKÁRZVRXW
the Water of Life. The Fountain of Life has a spherical gargoyle spout
unit. The spherical surface of the globe adorning the fountain is illumi-
QDWHGIURPWKHULJKWDFFRUGLQJWRWKHSRLQWRI YLHZRI WKHVSHFWDWRURI 
$SRVVLEOHUHÁHFWLRQRI WKHSDLQWHU-DQYDQ(\FNLQWKH*KHQW$OWDUSLHFH 309

Fig. 7

WKH$OWDUSLHFHDQGVKDGRZHGIURPWKHOHIW7KLVFRUUHVSRQGVWRWKHLQLWLDO
position of the Altarpiece in the chapel of the Ghent cathedral of St. Bav-
RQZKLFKZDVIRUPHUO\GHGLFDWHGWR6W-RKQWKH%DSWLVWZKHUHWKHDOWDU-
SLHFHZDVVLWXDWHGWKHZLQGRZVLQWKHFKDSHOWKHUHZHUHWZRZLQGRZV
ZHUH DW WKH ULJKW VLGH RI  WKH $OWDUSLHFH LQ RWKHU ZRUGV WKH OLJKW FDPH
IURPWKHULJKWVLGH2QWKHULJKWLOOXPLQDWHGSDUWRI WKHJOREHRQHVHHV
WKHUHÁHFWLRQRI ZLQGRZVIUDPHV4+RZHYHURQWKHRSSRVLWHVKDGRZHG
SDUWRI WKHJOREHDUHÁHFWLRQRI WZRÀJXUHVLVWUDFHDEOHÀJ
:KRDUHWKHVHÀJXUHV"2EYLRXVO\WKH\GRQRWEHORQJWRWKHGHSLFWHG
scene, i.e. the scene of the Adoration of the Mystical Lamb, they are out-
VLGHWKHSLFWRULDOVSDFH:HFDQJXHVVDJDLQWKDWWKH\DUHDUHÁHFWLRQRI 
WKHPDVWHU-DQYDQ(\FNDQGKLVDVVLVWDQWDVLQ´7KH$UQROÀQL3RUWUDLWµ

 6HH6FKQHLGHUF²ÀJ²&I'LHULFNSODWH

310 Boris Uspenskij

,WLVQRWH[FOXGHGKRZHYHUWKDWWKHUHÁHFWLRQUHIHUVWRWKHEURWKHUV-DQ
DQG+XEHUWYDQ(\FN
7KHWZRÀJXUHVLQWKHUHÁHFWLRQDUHKDUGO\GLVFHUQLEOH7KH\DUHQRW
intended to be seen by the spectator of the Altarpiece. They are not con-
QHFWHGZLWKWKHSUDJPDWLFVRI WKHYLVLRQWKH\KDYHDGLIIHUHQWV\PEROLF
value. They evidence the presence of the painter in his picture.
$ UHÁHFWLRQ PD\ KDYH WZR IXQFWLRQV LQ YDQ (\FN·V DUW LOOXVLRQ-
LVWLF DQG V\PEROLF 7KHVH WZR IXQFWLRQV DUH VRPHWLPHV LQWULQVLFDOO\
connected.

5HIHUHQFHV

%HOWLQJ+DQVDQG&KULVWLDQH.UXVH(UÀQGXQJGHV*HPlOGHV'DVHUVWH
Jahrhundert der niederländischen Malerei0QFKHQ+LUPHU9HUODJ
&DUWHU'DYLG*5HÁHFWLRQVLQ$UPRXULQWKH&DQRQYDQGHU3DHOH
0DGRQQD7KH$UW%XOOHWLQ²
'KDQHQV (OLVDEHWK  +XEHUW DQG -DQ YDQ (\FN 1HZ <RUN
Alpine.
Dierick, Alfons D. 1996. 7KH*KHQW$OWDUSLHFH9DQ(\FN·V0DVWHUSLHFH5HYLVLW-
ed in Colour and Life-SizeWUDQV+%URQGHHO*HQW$'LHULFN
)DUPHU 'RQDOG  )XUWKHU 5HÁHFWLRQVRQ D YDQ (\FN 6HOI3RUWUDLW
2XG+ROODQG²²
+DOO(GZLQ7KH$UQROÀQL%HWURWKDO0HGLHYDO0DUULDJHDQGWKH(QLJPD
of Van Eyck’s Double Portrait. Vol. 3 of California Studies in the History
RI $UW'LVFRYHU\6HULHV%HUNHOH\/RV$QJHOHV/RQGRQ8QLYHUVLW\RI 
California press.
3DQRIVN\ (UZLQ  -DQ YDQ (\FN·V $UQROÀQL 3RUWUDLW The Burlington
Magazine 64: 117–127.
3DQRIVN\(UZLQ1HWKHUODQGLVK3DLQWLQJ,WV2ULJLQDQG&KDUDFWHU. 2 vols.
&DPEULGJH+DUYDUG8QLYHUVLW\3UHVV
Seidel, Linda. 1993. 9DQ(\FN·V$UQROÀQL3RUWUDLW6WRULHVRI DQ,FRQ. Cambridge:
&DPEULGJH8QLYHUVLW\3UHVV
$SRVVLEOHUHÁHFWLRQRI WKHSDLQWHU-DQYDQ(\FNLQWKH*KHQW$OWDUSLHFH 311

ãHENRYi7KDOOHU =X]DQD  -DQ YDQ (\FNV 6HOEVW]HXJQLVVH XQG GDV

Buch der Weisheit. Konsthistorisk Tidskrift 1: 1–8.
6FKQHLGHU :ROIJDQJ &  5HÁHFWLRQ DV DQ 2EMHFW RI  9LVLRQ LQ WKH
Ghent Altarpiece. 9LVLRQ 0DWHULDO,QWHUDFWLRQEHWZHHQ$UWDQG6FLHQFH
in Jan van Eyck’s TimeHG0'H0H\03-0DUWHQVDQG&6WURR
²%UXVVHOV.9$%