Critical Social Inquiry 0241 - Renaissance Bodies

The eroticization and medicalization of the female body were invented during the Italian Renaissance. A point of convergence between the two developments was Renaissance art with its focus on sensualized beauty and the anatomically correct representation of female nudes. In this history course, we will read recent historical scholarship and primary literature on topics such as the discovery of the clitoris, anatomical representations of gender difference, the professionalization of midwifery, the debates surrounding breastfeeding, the role of the female imagination during pregnancy, male homoeroticism in Renaissance portraits, and the invention of the erotic nude in Venetian art. Mix of shorter papers on the reading assignment plus an independent research paper. Fieldtrip to the Met depending on availability of funds.

Culture, Humanities, and Languages Independent Work Writing and Research