Moldovan, Delia (2020) Illustrating the year : the calendar in northern Italy during the late fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Volume 1. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

This thesis presents a multilayered study of illustrated calendars created between the late fifteenth and the sixteenth century in Northern Italy, or presenting a Northern Italian iconography. They typically depict occupations and zodiac signs characteristic to each month of the year, and were produced in a variety of media, ranging from illuminated manuscripts and printed calendars, to paintings, frescoes and tapestries. The development of the imagery of the months is explored through three chapters arranged chronologically.

Chapter 1 examines the theme of the months in the context of a luxurious manuscript book of hours; namely the Offiziolo of Charles VIII, commissioned by Ludovico il Moro from Pietro Birago between 1493 and 1494. It is proposed that the calendar of the Offiziolo echoes the interest in agriculture and astrology typical of the fifteenth-century Milanese court. It is argued that this calendar displays a political language in line with the function of the Offiziolo as a diplomatic gift. The close affinity with a printed calendar is posited for the first time.

Chapter 2 investigates the iconographic impact of the vignettes of the months included in the Horae ad usum Romanum published by Bonino Bonini in Lyon, between 1499 and 1501. It has been demonstrated that Bonini’s calendar greatly contributed to the standardisation of the iconography of the months in Northern Italy until around the years of the Council of Trent. The aim of this chapter is to explore both the sources and the influence of Bonini’s calendar, in order to map the dissemination of motifs across time, borders and different media of production.

Chapter 3 explores the changes occurred in the iconography of the months at the end of the sixteenth century, through a comparative study between the series painted on canvas by Leandro Bassano and the illustration of liturgical calendars included in the Missalia Romana, published in Venice between 1477 and 1588. It is proposed that the new iconographic pattern responded to the religious and cultural circumstances featuring the last quarter of the sixteenth century.

The power of illustrated calendars to convey significant aspects of the political, cultural, economic and social context in which they were created, renders them a valuable visual document of their time, showing the importance of their study also beyond the boundaries of art history.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Subjects:	N Fine Arts > N Visual arts (General) For photography, see TR
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Calendars -- Italy -- History -- 15th century -- Illustrations, Calendars -- Italy -- History -- 16th century -- Illustrations, Books of hours -- Italy -- Illustrations, Months in art
Official Date:	May 2020
Dates:	Date Event May 2020 UNSPECIFIED
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	Department of History of Art
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor:	Bourdua, Louise, 1962-
Sponsors:	University of Warwick. Centre for Arts Doctoral Research Excellence
Format of File:	pdf
Extent:	lxiii, 379 leaves
Language:	eng

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