Portraits of Human Monsters in the Renaissance

Dwarves, Hirsutes, and Castrati as Idealized Anatomical Anomalies

By (author) Touba Ghadessi

Book cover: Portraits of Human Monsters in the Renaissance

Hardback (Published)

(March 2018)

ISBN: 9781580442756

6.69 x 9.45 inches

Price: $99.00

In stock

PDF (Published)

(March 2018)

ISBN: 9781580442763

Price: $99.00

~ENG~This book centers on how human monstrosity and physical deformity have been historically represented, categorized, and interpreted in various Italian and French courts of the late Renaissance.


At the center of this interdisciplinary study are court monsters–dwarves, hirsutes, and misshapen individuals–who, by their very presence, altered Renaissance ethics vis-a-vis anatomical difference, social virtues, and scientific knowledge. The study traces how these monsters evolved from objects of curiosity, to scientific cases, to legally independent beings. The works examined here point to the intricate cultural, religious, ethical, and scientific perceptions of monstrous individuals who were fixtures in contemporary courts.

Introduction

Difference as an Inquiry

Renaissance Portrait and Intellectual Frame

Perfected Miniatures: Dwarves at Court

A Civilized Savage: The Hirsute's Conquest

Audible Absence: The Castrato's Voice

Epilogue

Bibliography
  • By (author) Touba Ghadessi

"This lively and engaging study not only reveals and reconceptualizes portraits of human 'monsters,' but also, in so doing, rewrites the history of Renaissance portraiture. Ghadessi uses images of known, famous 'human monsters' - a dwarf, a hirsute woman, and a castrato - to highlight normative portraiture constructs, but also to reinvest their subjects with vibrant, vital humanity." Asa Mittman, California State University, Chico
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"This lively and engaging study not only reveals and reconceptualizes portraits of human 'monsters,' but also, in so doing, rewrites the history of Renaissance portraiture. Ghadessi uses images of known, famous 'human monsters' - a dwarf, a hirsute woman, and a castrato - to highlight normative portraiture constructs, but also to reinvest their subjects with vibrant, vital humanity." - Asa Mittman, California State University, Chico
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