Abstract

Since I won't have time to write for a while, I thought I would post my abstract for my thesis. Still in the process of finishing the complete rough draft. I have a little over 8 thousand words so far, but I need at least 10 thousand, and what I do have is in need of heavy editing. I have until Wednesday. At least I really like my topic, or else I would be hating life right now. It will be worth it once this is all over and done with though: not only will I have completed a research thesis of a significant length, but I will have an excellent writing sample for grad school and a great feeling of accomplishment. Can't wait 'til it's done!!! 

Abstract:

Veronica Franco and the Enigma of Female Portraiture in Renaissance Venice

Despite the prolific nature of artists during the Venetian Renaissance, there are nearly no definitive examples of female portraits from this time available to modern-day scholars. While this problem has been acknowledge by the scholarly community, it has never been examined in and of itself. It is time to not merely acknowledge the problem, but directly address it. In order to fully understand this phenomenon, it is necessary to examine other examples of female images and portraits from this period. Paolo Veronese’s portrait of Laura Da Pola, Titian’s Flora, and his portrait of Caterina Cornaro serve as primary examples of women in Venetian Renaissance painting. Together, traditional Italian female portraiture, idealized images of women, and allegorical portraiture combine to both contextualize and influence Jacopo Tintoretto’s portrait of Veronica Franco. One of the few identifiable Venetian portraits, this painting provides unique insight into the fluid nature of female portraiture in Venice during its Renaissance. It is this very fluidity of the female image that is the key to the problematic nature of female Venetian portraiture of the 16th century. With such conflicting roles being dealt with in one genre, it becomes difficult to determine after the fact which paintings of women are indeed portraits, especially when documentation is scant. It is therefore possible that there are more Venetian female portraits in existence than previously thought; we are simply not able to identify them as such, thanks in part to the many roles reflected in female portraiture.

I present my research on May 18, and I'm pretty nervous. At least I have a lot of time to prepare!