The Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies at Saint Louis University invites scholars to be part of a panel on “WOMEN, SPIRITUALITY, AND ART IN RENAISSANCE ITALY.” This panel will be presented at the Dublin conference, March 30-April 2, 2022, of the Renaissance Society of America.
THEME: WOMEN, SPIRITUALITY, AND ART IN RENAISSANCE ITALY
The study of matron patrons has been accepted for many years as a critical analysis of the role of female patronage in history. This session will be devoted to specific examples of how women as patrons incorporated their new spiritual beliefs and practices into the narrative programs of their chapels, homes, or other projects. During the sixteenth century in Italian cities, many high-profile theologians lectured and wrote about new spiritual approaches. These men include St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Philip Neri, St. Theresa of Avila, St. Gaetano da Thiene, St. Peter Canisius, St. Francis of Paola, and many others. How did the words and examples of these theologians influence the patronage decisions made by these matron patrons? This session will explore the connections between the theologians, the female patrons, and ultimately, the artworks. Examples include women who were motivated to donate their money to an art/architectural project of a particular theologian and his/her religious order; how a women incorporated new spiritual teachings into the narrative program or images of a chapel or artwork; and/or how a female used her voice as a patron to promote new spirituality within a visual culture.
If you would like to give a paper exploring this theme, please submit a proposal to Cynthia Stollhans (cynthia.stollhans@slu.edu) by Friday, July 30th, 2021.
Proposals for papers should include:
the presenter’s name, academic affiliation, email address
paper title (up to 15 words)
paper abstract (up to 150 words)
a one-page CV in tabular format (up to 300 words; indicate date of PhD)
up to four keywords
specification of any AV or computer projection needs.
Please send any questions to cynthia.stollhans@slu.edu