These Egyptian hieroglyphs featuring solitary human eyes had a significant impact on European iconography during the Renaissance. During this era, scholars and artists held a profound fascination with Egyptian script. However, their understanding of it was limited, and the translations they attempted were often fraught with inaccuracies. One notable instance occurred in a 1499 romance titled “The Dream of Poliphilo,” where the translation of a single Egyptian eye symbol was interpreted as ‘God’.[9]

This misconception stemmed from a fundamental misinterpretation of the original purpose of hieroglyphics. Today, we understand them as primarily a phonetic written language. However, in the 1400s and 1500s, they were perceived to possess a much more mystical significance. The symbols within hieroglyphic writing—depicting animals, birds, and abstract shapes—were believed to be intentionally enigmatic, each one evoking meaning through the interpretation of the observer rather than forming part of a linguistic structure. They were seen as enigmatic puzzles with multiple layers of meaning.

This belief profoundly influenced European art. When dictionaries of symbols, such as Andrea Alciati’s 1531 Emblemata[10] and later Cesare Ripa’s Iconologia[6], were published, the focus was on cryptic and often highly intricate visual symbols, engaging the viewer in deciphering and constructing meanings from them.

Consequently, motifs like the Eye of Providence were deliberately crafted to appear esoteric. They were symbols designed to be reinterpreted, and perhaps even misunderstood. This concept reached its zenith in the late 18th century, with three notable examples from this period illustrating an increasing diversity in the symbolism of the Eye of Providence.