Les monstres humains à la Renaissance

Portraits of Human Monsters in the Renaissance. Dwarves, Hirsutes, and Castrati as Idealized Anatomical Anomalies

Touba Ghadessi

220 pages
Hardback (March 2018)
ISBN-13 9781580442756

At the center of this interdisciplinary study are court monsters--dwarves, hirsutes, and misshapen individuals--who, by their very presence, altered Renaissance ethics vis-à-vis anatomical difference, social virtues, and scientific knowledge. The study traces how these monsters evolved from objects of curiosity, to scientific cases, to legally independent beings. The works examined here point to the intricate cultural, religious, ethical, and scientific perceptions of monstrous individuals who were fixtures in contemporary courts.

Introduction
Difference as an Inquiry
Renaissance Portrait and Intellectual Frame
Perfected Miniatures - Dwarves at Court
A Civilized Savage - The Hirsute's Conquest
Audible Absence - The Castrato's Voice
Epilogue
Bibliography