Spirits Unseen~The Representation of Subtle Bodies in Early Modern European Culture

Spirits – airy, volatile ‘subtle bodies – occupied a central place in early modern European culture. At the edge of the visible and perceptible, spiritus could signify a broad variety of subtle substances, both natural and divine: the vapours moving inside the body, the elements of air and fire, angels, demons and spectres, the Holy Spirit and the human soul. Spirits functioned as intermediaries between two opposite worlds with continually shifting borders.