Masculinity, Mourning and Portraiture in Early Modern Italy

FAIN: FT-52752-04

Allison Mary Levy
Wheaton College (Norton, MA 02766-2322)

This project explores the role of the visual arts, specifically portraiture, within the death ritual (funereal, burial, and mourning ceremonial) of early modern Italy (c.1350-c.1550). It recognizes a socio-cultural phenomenon--the fear not merely of death but also of being forgotten--and identifies a set of pictorial, literary and theoretical strategies consequently formulated to ensure memory. Methodologically, it draws upon both historical writings and contemporary discourses of death and gender. It is also informed by the emerging field of disability studies within the humanities. This innovative project generates new theories about both masculinity and male portraiture in early modern Italy.