ONLINE PROGRAM

Renaissance Portraiture (Part 1)

Elaine Ruffolo, Renaissance art historian 

The growth of Renaissance art portraits exploded in the 15th century, as part of a more significant cultural movement in which the space for individual achievement increased substantially. The expansion of trade, combined with a new focus on self-governance in Italy’s political spheres, resulted in a large number of powerful and wealthy people who sought to capture their characteristics and keep them for posterity, resulting in an influx of Renaissance portrait paintings. Italian Renaissance portraits were proclaimed to depict one’s religious devotion, morality, education, affluence, and even one’s soul. In the 15th and 16th centuries, portraits played a vital role in every aspect of human life: childhood, politics, friendship, courtship, marriage, old age, and death. Furthermore, it was widely believed that a person’s appearance mirrored their soul, with physical beauty indicating inner morality and virtue. Artists developed highly individual approaches to the representation of ideal beauty. In this lecture, Ruffolo will provide fresh insights into fundamental issues of likeness, memory, and identity, while revealing a remarkable community of Renaissance personalities – from princes, envoys, and merchants to clergymen, tradesmen, and artists.

$15 fee for guests and subscribers (no fee for members)