Virtues and Vices: Examples of Medieval Knowledge Visualization

Abstract

The concepts of virtues and vices have a long history. This paper discusses their medieval metaphorical and allegorical representations as examples of knowledge visualizations, and compares them against the criteria put forward for the use of contemporary knowledge visualizations. It is found that these medieval visualizations exhibit all the essential traits expected of knowledge visualizations, making them not only exemplars of a field, but also documentary evidence of early explorations (research) into visually representing and communicating complex knowledge.