Engaging Symbols: Gender, Politics, and Public Art in Fifteenth-Century Florence

by Adrian W. B. Randolph

During the fifteenth century, Florence emerged as one of Europe's most important city-states. This fresh and insightful book investigates the fascinating intersection of art, politics, and gender in the public sphere of Florence at this time. Adrian W. B. Randolph identifies a pivotal moment in the history of public art when Florentines visually encoded political and social relations within gendered categories. Randolph shows how "engaging" political symbols were grounded in a revolutionary way in amorous discourses that drew on metaphors of affection, desire, courtship, betrothal, marriage, homo- and hetero-eroticism, and procreation. This book emphasizes the sculpture of Donatello and the Medici family's efforts to seek legitimacy through artistic patronage. To characterize the political function of art, however, the book also encompasses a broad array of media-including paintings by Botticelli, portrait medals, and especially engravings-and tracks a number of important political developments. During the course of the fifteenth century, as tensions grew between Florence's explicit republicanism and a waxing politics of personal charisma, art was employed to alleviate the uneasiness, Randolph argues. First an oligarchical government and then three generations of Medici rulers, recognizing the importance of political appearances, carefully crafted images of themselves, their city, and the consensual relation they imagined existing between the two. Randolph casts new light on these artistic practices to arrive at a new and convincing view of the connections among politics, gender, and art in quattrocento Florence.

Genres: Art

352 pages, Hardcover

First published May 11, 2002

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

An excellent source on public monuments in fifteenth-century Florence especially Donatello's Dovizia and Judith & Holofernes. Randolph writes each chapter as a stand-alone essay that focuses on a specific work of art from a gender and social methodological approach. For example in the chapter on the Judith & Holofernes, Randolph goes beyond quoting Francesco Filarete's comments on the Judith as a "bad omen" to explain the actual historical event that led to the Judith being replaced by Michelangelo's David.

Yet Engaging Symbols biggest flaw is the lack of a conclusion essay to summarize or firmly establish each chapter's main points. A smaller flaw is the order of the essays. Chapter 3 on the Medici diamond ring motif would be better suited to have chapter 5 "Spectacular Allegory: Botticelli's Pallas Medicea" follow it since ch. 5 uses similar ideas from chapter 3. In the introduction, Randolph does state, however, the essays do not need to be read in order, but since the text is purely academic, there is a need for continuity for at least one reader.

Overall great for: social & gender theories about fifteenth-century Florentine art works like Botticelli's Pallas Medicea and Donatello's David, Ninfa Florenzia / Dovizia, and Judith & Holofernes. Very academic and extremely useful in that regard.

Bad for: everyday reading or as a "preparatory" book for traveling in Florence.