Portraits of Human Monsters in the Renaissance
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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.
Touba Ghadessi is Associate Professor of Art History at Wheaton College.