Some of the most refined works of Italian Renaissance art portray the desires of the flesh. From erotic mythological paintings, to titillating private portraits, illicit subject matter provided an endless font of inspiration for painters, sculptors, and craftsmen alike. Through an intersectional approach, this course examines how gender, race, and class shaped the visual imaginary of desire in Renaissance Italy (1300-1650). Weekly topics will include: the visual culture of courtly love, marriage and virginity, ideals of beauty and the male gaze, sexual violence, women artists and self-representation, and the fetishization of foreign bodies.
