Making a visible difference : symbolism and individuality in representations of the Medici court dwarfs in early modern Florence

McBryde, Sarah Jane (2022) Making a visible difference : symbolism and individuality in representations of the Medici court dwarfs in early modern Florence. PhD thesis, Birkbeck, University of London.

Abstract

Court dwarfs appear in numerous artworks in various media, from paintings and sculptures to tapestries and prints, reflecting their ubiquitous presence across the European courts between the fourteenth and seventeenth centuries. However, analyses of their portrayals rarely focus on the dwarfs themselves, an omission which this thesis aims to address. Traditional interpretations frequently frame court dwarfs as mistreated jester-pets, who were humiliated and exploited by their patrons, or prized as monstrous oddities within princely collections. Therefore, representations of dwarfs have been deemed subsidiary figures and more nuanced study of their function in artworks has been neglected. In line with developments in recent scholarship, my investigation challenges these entrenched views to provide new perspectives on the role(s) and status of dwarfs, both as members of elite households and within artistic commissions. The following chapters examine evidence from the Medici court in Florence c. 1532-1632, spanning the ducal reigns of Alessandro de’ Medici (r. 1532-37) to Ferdinando II (r. 1621-70), with particular focus on individuals from the court of Cosimo I (r. 1537-74) and his consort, Eleonora di Toledo (m. 1539-62). The thesis takes a dual approach by collating biographical information relating to the Medici court dwarfs, including previously unstudied archival material, and using this data to reassess contemporary dwarf-imagery from Florence. Rather than simply acting as accoutrements of wealth and power, or as comical decorative elements, I propose that dwarf figures in artworks possess a multi-layered iconography, which encompasses both the varied symbolic associations of dwarfs in contemporary culture, and also the unique personalities and histories of the individuals portrayed.

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