Satire, veneration, and St. Joseph in art, c. 1300-1500 /

Satire, Veneration, and St. Joseph in Art, c. 1300-1550 is the first to reclaim satire as a central component of Catholic altarpieces, devotional art, and veneration, moving beyond humor's relegation to the medieval margins or to the profane arts alone. The book challenges humor's percepti...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Williams, Anne L. (Author)
Format: Book
Language:English
Published: Amsterdam : Amsterdam University Press, [2019]
Series:Visual and material culture, 1300-1700 ; 16.
Subjects:
Description
Summary:Satire, Veneration, and St. Joseph in Art, c. 1300-1550 is the first to reclaim satire as a central component of Catholic altarpieces, devotional art, and veneration, moving beyond humor's relegation to the medieval margins or to the profane arts alone. The book challenges humor's perception as a mere teaching tool for the laity and the antithesis of 'high' veneration and theology, a divide perpetuated by Counter-Reformation thought and the inheritance of Mikhail Bakhtin (Rabelais and His World, 1965). It reveals how humor, laughter, and material culture played a critical role in establishing St. Joseph as an exemplar in western Europe as early as the thirteenth century. Its goal is to open a new line of interpretation in medieval and early modern cultural studies, by revealing the functions of humor in sacred scenes, the role of laughter as veneration, and the importance of play for pre-Reformation religious experiences.
Physical Description:236 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color) ; 25 cm.
Bibliography:Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN:9789462983748
9462983747