Victoria Cirlot to Explore Mysticism of Light in Cristino de Vera's Art
Scholar Victoria Cirlot will explore the mystical significance of light in Cristino de Vera's art, drawing parallels to patristic and hesychastic traditions, at the Cristino de Vera Foundation-CajaCanarias Cultural Space this Tuesday.
The Cristino de Vera Foundation-CajaCanarias Cultural Space is hosting another event in its "Art-Thought Encounter 2025" series this Tuesday. Victoria Cirlot, a scholar of medieval times and mysticism, will give a talk titled "Mysticism of Light. Patristic and Hesychastic Tradition in the Work of Cristino de Vera."
The lecture starts at 7:00 PM in the foundation's auditorium at Calle San Agustín, 18, in La Laguna. Entry is free, but space is limited.
Cirlot will discuss how light is crucial in Cristino de Vera's art. She'll explore light not just as a natural element but as a symbol of the divine. Drawing on the teachings of early Church Fathers and the Hesychastic spiritual tradition from Eastern Christianity, she will examine the idea of "uncreated light," as seen in the biblical story of the Transfiguration, and look for connections to De Vera's paintings.
Victoria Cirlot is a professor of Romance Philology at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona and heads the university's Institute of Culture. Her research focuses on the Middle Ages, particularly knightly culture and mysticism.
She has translated 12th and 13th-century Arthurian novels and troubadour poetry from Old French. Her books include "Figuras del destino. Mitos y símbolos de la Europa medieval" (Figures of Destiny. Myths and Symbols of Medieval Europe) on Arthurian romance. In medieval mysticism, she has studied Hildegard von Bingen and other female mystics. Cirlot also directs the "El Árbol del Paraíso" book series at Siruela publishers and has edited the works of her father, Juan Eduardo Cirlot.