1. Why does a mystic need an artist? The role of visual representations in the mystical experience
Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht eBooks April 14, 2025
St. John of the Cross, a foundational figure in Christian mysticism, argued in his work Ascent of Mount Carmel that visual representations—whether imaginative or real artworks—are obstacles to spiritual union with God, which requires detachment from all forms and images. Despite this theoretical rejection, the text notes that St. John himself used religious images in his devotional practices, and a famous incident from 1588 describes him receiving a mystical vision while praying before a painting of Christ carrying the cross in Segovia. This paradox highlights a tension between mystical theory and practice.