During the Italian Wars of 1494 to 1559; with innovations in military technology and tactics; armour began to disappear from the battlefield. Yet as field armour was retired; parade and ceremonial armour grew increasingly flamboyant. Displaced from its utilitarian function of defense but retained for symbolic uses; armour evolved in a new direction as a medium of artistic expression. Luxury armour became a chief accessory in the performance of elite male identity; coded with messages regarding the owners social status; genealogy; and political alliances. Carolyn Springer decodes Renaissance armour as three-dimensional portraits through the case studies of three patrons of luxury armourers; Guidobaldo II della Rovere (1514-75); Charles V Habsburg (1500-58 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1519-56); and Cosimo I deMedici (1519-74). A fascinating exposition of male self-representation; Armour and Masculinity in the Italian Renaissance explores the significance of armour in early modern Italy as both cultural artefact and symbolic form.
#3353272 in eBooks 2011-02-01 2011-02-01File Name: B00513LY2O
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Kindle CustomerBecause its very close to my heart.
