Description
This thesis focuses on the erotic depictions of Lucretia and Susanna in Renaissance art. Both noted for displaying exemplary chastity, Lucretia and Susanna gained popularity as Christian and secular role models for women in the late Middle Ages and Renaissance. My examination of the heroines addresses the seductive portrayal of these women in painting, which seemingly contradicts the essence of their celebrity. The images specifically analyzed in this thesis include: Lucas Cranach the Elder's Lucretia from 1525, Lucretia from 1533, and Venus from 1532 as well as Tintoretto's Susanna and the Elders and Annibale Carracci's Susanna and the Elders. The scope of my thesis includes both textual and visual analyses of the myths/figures and the disparity that arises between them. Employing Lucretia and Susanna as examples, my aim is to demonstrate a subtle subversion occurring within images of powerful women that ultimately strips them of their power.
Details
Title
- Virtuous Vixens: The Erotic Depiction of Icons of Chastity in Renaissance Art
Contributors
- Williamson, Jennifer Marie (Author)
- Schleif, Corine (Thesis director)
- Geschwind, Rachel (Committee member)
- Pratt, Rebekah (Committee member)
- Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
- School of Social Transformation (Contributor)
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change (Contributor)
- School of Art (Contributor)
Date Created
The date the item was original created (prior to any relationship with the ASU Digital Repositories.)
2013-05
Resource Type
Collections this item is in