Contemplation on the Position of Painting in Avicennian Philosophy

This paper examines the question that from what aspects Avicenna has discussed color and painting in his philosophy. In this research, Avicenna’s dispersed remarks on this subject have been reviewed, categorized, and analyzed. The result of this research shows that Avicenna’s greatest attention to this discussion, is found in his “Poetics” which is a part of the science of logic, and “Natural Science”, especially Psychology and Medicine. He also  speaks differently in “The Science of Music” and “Theology”. Avicenna’s attention to painting in the context of Natural Science is largely related to discussions on the way it is perceived and its effects on the soul. The attention to the color, shape and their changes in the sensible organisms, especially the human body, are also studied in Natural Sciences. By contrast, painting as art is mainly discussed in the context of “Poetics” and “Science of Music”. In the context of Theology, sometimes painting applies metaphorically, and sometimes it is considered as a sensible medium for expressing rational realities.