Tuesday, September 3, 2013

terza rima



    OK just playing around today to kill some time, I thought I would try my hand at a terza rima which is a style of poetry that Veronica franco was fond of:

    Lo my lord no more words! to deeds to actions!
    Waste not one more line, not one more syllable
    No odes to beauty to gain my attention

    If it is love or lust you feel, be sinful
    Attract with a touch and be rewarded
    desire is not a time to be sensible

    I can see it in your eyes you are tempted
    to slip between the saintly and the bawdy
    wishes to bend and entwine and be knotted

    If you like I will say that you challenged me
    And like a maid did try to resist thy chains
    by your skill alone I am yours loyally

    My part is played now yours is all that remains
    Come here and full of most wicked desire
    together we shall feel fire within our veins

    an attempt at a letter in persona

    My dearest English lord,

    It has been so long since you graced me with your loving glances and passionate words. Must I wait until the thaw to feel your arms around me again? Like Persephone I find myself dwelling in darkness longing for the spring to bring joy and light back into my world. Give me hope with promises you will find your way home to me. This winter has been too cruel, the void in my heart that only you can fill has brought a chill I cannot escape. I hold the memories of your laughter, wit and charm as they are the only things to bring a smile to my lips. I know our parting was not ideal and we found ourselves more married then lovers, but even then they are moments I cherish. The fire in my heart still burns for you, my nights are lonely and my thoughts are often of you. At the slightest word you would find me a slave to our love. As coy and wild as Artemis, As passionate as Aphrodite and as completely yours as the echos of my heart remind me that I am. With a word I would play the part of your dreams, cold and distant goddess, pliable maiden, wanton lover, obedient servant. Such roles are empty without you. Tell me you still think of me, that this pain is not just mine alone to bear. Be kind to me, do not have me wait for your reply to long.

    Yours, body, heart and soul
    Magdalena Lucia Ramberti
    This 29th day of December
    In Venice

    Monday, August 5, 2013

    reliquary

    As a side project I have been working on a portable personal shrine to my persona's patron saint.
    Reliquaries held relics of religious significance. Being a good Italian woman living in Venice in all likelihood I would be Catholic. Being a courtesan I would be classed as a fallen woman an there were many laws limiting when I could attend church and where I could sit. Being devote I would still do my prayers and appeal to the saints. The patron saint of fallen women is Mary Magdalene.

    Reliquaries were often very ornate


    I was able to get a 3rd class relic which means an item (often cloth) that had been in contact with a 1st or second class relic. A First Class Relic is the body or a portion of the body of a Saint (bone, flesh, or hair). These are considered so precious that they are rarely entrusted to individuals, but are placed in Faith Communities. The Second Class Relic is an item or piece of an item used by the Saint while on the body (clothing, Bible, Breviary, Mass vestments, and so on). Again, Second Class Relics are considered so precious that they are rarely entrusted to individuals, but are placed in Faith Communities. Third Class Relics typically fall into 2 categories. The first category is a piece of cloth touched to a First or Second Class Relic of the Saint. The second category, in cases where there is no known existing relic of a saint, the cloth has been touched to the shrine of the saint. Generally, the Third Class Relic is a piece of cloth, but it need not be, as long as the item so touched conveys Holiness and is touched with the intent that it be a Third Class Relic. 


    My third class relic is a piece of the cloth that carried Mary Magdalene's bones when they were on tour in the US. 

      

    I decided to display this relic within a very gothic looking shadow box


    I was gifted a beautiful rosary that I have draped around the box.

    I have plans to also create a triptych, which is a style panel painting

    also a walk able labyrinth
    The pattern of Chartres labyrinth , labyrinths were used for meditation and contemplation



    Tuesday, July 2, 2013

    embroidered pocket!



    all that is left is the sewing on the ties!!

    2nd pocket

    currently working on an embroidered pocket.



    I'm using silk thread on linen. The embroidery pattern is based on the embroidery found on a pair of drawers mentioned in "Dressed (or Undressed) for success" by Carol Tucker, while interviewing Margaret Rosenthal, itis mentioned  "how courtesans wore male-style clothing as undergarments - such as linen knickers, embroidered with phrases such as "I want the heart."
    Drawers found in Moda a Firenze

    a drawing of the embroiery by © Claudette Pomroy 2008

    Monday, July 1, 2013

    Italian Renaissance Costuming Challenge

    For the last 3 years the realm of venus, which is an incredible resource for costuming, has held a costuming challenge. We are in the middle of the 3rd annual challenge and I am busy sewing for it.

    for those interested here are links to the challenge and pictures of my finished gowns



    I was also very privileged to be featured in the Denver Post during the first year challenge

    an earlier class handout

    Courtesans
    Magdalena Lucia Ramberti

    I. What is a Courtesan?
    Courtesans were not looked at as women nor were they as valued as men, instead they found
    themselves in a grouping of their own. Within the male dominated society of 16th century Venice
    courtesans were able to move outside the confines of the believed place reserved for women. “The
    use of the term cortigiana (courtesan) confirms the recognition of a new category of public women.
    Strictly speaking, of course, it simply means court lady- the female counterpart of cortigiano or
    courtier.” (Brown, 2004)
    Courtesans, came into being because of many social, political and religious influences. Italy proved to be the perfect breeding ground for their creation. The separate governing bodies, the lack of an overall monarch and the melting pot of cultures caused by trade opened the doors for this new class of women. Venice, being my main focus of study, had all of these factors and more. The dowry wars had grown to such an extreme that the price to be married became outrageous and out of reach for many middle and lower middle class women. Without marriage, income was limited, status difficult to come by and some women learned to use their minds and bodies for financial gain.
    Yes, this sounds exactly like prostitution “the act or practice of engaging in sexual intercourse for money.” (Prostitution, 2012) Yet it was more then just sex, while it might be a tool in their toolbox it wasn't always a part of a working relationship. Courtesans offered social and intellectual refinement in return for patronage, very much in the same manner as the geisha before World War II in Japan. The
    courtesan fulfilled societies need for a refined yet sexualized version of the noblewoman. Like her male counterpart the courtier, a courtesan had to be educated in playing music, singing, writing poetry, all the courtly graces, dancing, chess playing, current events, the classics and witty banter. This education and the fact she was also paid for these skills separate her from the lower classes of prostitutes. From the lowest class, the meretrice, picture a streetwalker type, to the cortigiana di lume (courtesan of the lamp) who worked in inn houses and brothels. Both solely dependent on selling sexual favors for their income. The cortigiana onesta (honest courtesan or honored courtesan) sold her intellectual and literary skills thus earned her income “honestly”. Cortigiana onesta never really dismiss the sexual aspects of their profession but it is far from the focus of it.
    In same vein they were not classified as noblewomen, it was rare for a noblewoman to be educated beyond the basics. Rosenthal (1992) says of noblewomen, “Their education consisted of elementary reading and writing in the vernacular, rudimentary arithmetic, and also handiwork, such as embroidery and weaving.” For noblewomen it was also believed that “Woman’s voice lead to sexual temptation; eloquence in a woman lead to promiscuity.” (Masson, 1975) This belief most likely had ties to the first temptation of Adam in Eden, thus creating a society that felt the need to protect it's noblewomen from further education and sheltering them from perceived threats of corruption from outsiders. Libraries were closed to women as a whole but courtesans were seen as intellects and were granted access. Courtesans were able to afford many luxuries and dressed accordingly.
    1. Identifying a Courtesan.
    Imagine you are a male tourist in 16th century Venice; you have traveled here for business or a
    pilgrimage, and you have high hopes of seeing one of the honest courtesans Venice is so well known
    for. As you walk the canals you come upon a woman; she is lavishly dressed , obviously a woman of
    money. Since courtesans dressed in a similar manner to a noblewoman, how would you know if this
    woman was a courtesan or the doge's wife? The difference between the noblewoman and courtesan
    of the 16th century were not often easy to spot with the eyes. Unless the courtesan was openly
    advertising her presence, which could be very dangerous as they were often a target of violence,
    she would often dress like a noblewoman. This caused many issues, making a senator in 1564 state:
    “The prostitutes in this city of ours have so excessively increased in number, and having cast aside all modesty and shame, they publicly frequent the streets, churches, and other places, adorned and dressed so handsomely that often our noblewomen and our citizens are dressed in much the same way, so that not only foreigners but local people as well are unable to tell the good from the bad, thus setting a bad and most pernicious example for those who cross their paths and see them, in view of the many advantages enjoyed by such persons of a low and abject standing.” (Barzaghi, 1980)
    This lead to the passing of sumptuary laws which were difficult to enforce and easily side stepped by bribery or paying a fine on the off chance they were caught. These laws tried to prevent prostitutes and courtesans alike from wearing silk, gold, silver, pearls, jewels- real or fake, and earrings. Sometimes the laws were written in such a way that they only referred to prostitutes giving courtesans a loophole as their profession was considered much more dignified. When the laws restricting what a could wear failed there was an “attempt to have courtesans identify themselves by require the wearing of a yellow veil.”(Robin, Lawson & Levin, 2007) Again this was easily side stepped by paying a fine.
    So how would a courtesan advertise themselves? Often it came down to subtle signals and word of mouth. While it would be logical to think they would wear taller chopines, have longer trains or more lavish dress, this was not always reliable as Noblewomen tried to draw the eye in the same manner. The only sign I can trace is a move I have coined as the “courtesan peak”. Women when outdoors often wore veils that covered their faces, thus giving them protection not only from the sun but also gave them anonymity thus protecting them from them tempting influences. Yet we see time and time again drawings showing some women lifting and peaking out from under their veils. How provocative this might have been for a gentleman on the street, a touch forbidden, all the while revealing herself to be a courtesan in a subtle manner.

    1. The drawbacks
    While it may seem that courtesans led a charmed life, it was not without it's drawbacks. Courtesans like the male counterpart the courtier sought political and social advancement within the feudal system during the renaissance, thus facing them off to battle for the attentions of the same patrons. This made courtesans a target to their male counterpart, who wrote nasty satire about courtesans, endangering their reputations and thus their livelihoods.
    Violence against courtesans could come in many forms, a jealous lover, a refused man, those who believed she was immoral and need to be punished just to name a few. One of the most shocking and distasteful violent acts dolled out upon a courtesan would be a tentuno (thirty-one) a gang rape that would then have the details of the attack spread around the court. Besides the physical nature of the attack, it also served to humiliate and increase the chance to contract a venereal disease
    The noblewoman had no power over her own social advancement, whereas the courtesan had more freedom. Before a noblewoman married, her life and money were governed by her father or
    brothers. Once married, all her property transferred to her husband. “From about 1100, the position
    of property-holding males was enhanced further. Inheritance was confined to the male, or agnate line- with depressing consequences for women.” (Jones & Rosenthal, 1998) During the renaissance, a person was born and died in the same social class, there was very little movement nor was such movement expected. Courtesans were able to rise from the lower middle classes up into the aristocracy. The Courtesan made enough money to advance her class status and because she was outside of the bonds of
    marriage she could manage her own money. In response sumptuary laws were passed in attempts
    to recreate the social boundaries. Such laws were easily overcome as they were often not enforced.
    In order to move into such circles an up and comer needed to be able to participate in social
    networking. The women of respectful families found themselves shut away from the world around
    them. Women found themselves to be “assigned to subordinate positions in the household and the
    church, they were barred from significant participation in public life.” (Jones & Rosenthal, 1998) If you look at the design of homes in Venice you will discover often they contained amazing gardens that could only be entered by going through the house. This way the women and daughters of noble families could enjoy the outdoors without exposing them to the corrupting forces of the outside world.
    Courtesans, on the other hand, depended on social networking. One of their key roles was to set up social exchanges for their clients to not only advance the clients standings but also themselves.
    Courtesans were able to exert a significant amount of control over their own person. “Women possessed virtually no political power of their own, owing to an
    oligarchy dominated by men, and the laws passed by men reveal not only a class bias but a special
    arrogance towards women” (Rosenthal, 1992). Whereas a woman had no control over whom they would marry, courtesans could pick and choose their clientele. If a courtesan wished she could use the wealth she had amassed and had control over to choose her own husband. If marriage was not something she
    wished to invest her time into she could invest her own money and live quite happily on her own
    wealth. As a true mistress of her own house a courtesan made all the decisions of her own home
    and she was subject to no man's whim unless that of her own choosing.

    While the noblewoman did lead the rich life of the upper crust, it is the ability to be so educated and
    being able to move within the class structure which makes the courtesan a fascinating
    subject. There is much a modern woman can learn from the women of the past. Whereas the
    noblewoman was the glue that held her household together; the courtesan was truly the first
    feminist voice in a male dominated society. New documents are being found every day and as
    scholars and translators decipher these documents our knowledge of these enigmatic women can
    only grow.

    References
    Brown, P.F. (2004). Private Lives in Renaissance Venice. New Haven:Yale University Press
    Barzaghi, A.(1980) Donne o courtigiane?. Verona: Bertani
    de Heere, L. (Artist). (1584). Théâtre de tous les peuples nations et de la terre et avec leurs ornemens diverse habits: Venetian courtesan. [Drawing]. Retrieved from http://lib.ugent.be/fulltxt/RUG01/000/794/288/BHSL-HS-2466_2009_0001_AC.pdf
    Jones, A.R. & Rosenthal, M.F. (1998). Veronica Franco: Poems and Selected Letters. Chicago: The University of Chicago.
    Masson, G. (1975). Courtesans of the Italian Renaissance. London: Martin Secker & Warburg Limited
    prostitution. (n.d.). Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law. Retrieved May 09, 2012, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/prostitution
    Robin, D.M., Larsen, A., & Levin, C.(2007). Encyclopedia of Women in the Renaissance: Italy, and England. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO.
    Rosenthal, M.(1992). The Honest Courtesan: Veronica Franco, Citizen and Writer in Sixteenth Century Venice. Chicago: The University of Chicago.
    Rosenthal, M, & Jones, A.R. (2008). The Clothing of the Renaissance World: Europe,
    Asia, Africa, The Americas; Cesare Vecellio's Habiti Antichi et Moderni. London: Thames & Hudson.
    unknown. (Artist). (1575). Mores italiae: A venetian courtesan (dressed as a widow) [Drawing]. Retrieved from http://realmofvenus.renaissanceitaly.net/wardrobe/MoresItaliae1.jpg
    unknown. (Artist). (1595). Album amicorum of a german soldier: Venetian courtesan. [Drawing]. Retrieved from http://realmofvenus.renaissanceitaly.net/wardrobe/ManuVen5.JPG

    Vecellio, C. (Artist). (1585). De gli habiti antichi et moderni di diverse parti del mondo: Venetian courtesan outdoors. [Drawing]. Retrieved from http://realmofvenus.renaissanceitaly.net/wardrobe/Vecellio15.jpg

    Renaissance Pocket (work in progress)

     Renaissance Pocket   
    Magdalena Lucia Ramberti
    Christa Gordon
    Caerthe

    Background:
                I started out this project with a need to keep my personal items safe and wondering if their might be a solution that would not take away from the more authentic look I was going for in my clothing. I looked for several ideas and came across tie on pockets. It was ingenious and simple. All the existing pockets I found were all dated just out of period and then I found a Bolso also known as Faltriquera, or Spanish pocket dated 1575-1600 just within period at Museo del Traje or Museum of costume in Madrid.
      It had the same shape as the tie on pockets except it was missing a method to tie it on. This example is silk satin with couched metal threads.

                I kept looking and came across Saccoccia, or Italian pockets. I could not find any existing pockets but I did find evidence in paintings and frescos.
    A fresco called The Maiden's Quarter by Alessandro Allori dated 1588
      A closer inspection of the fresco reveals three women wearing what appears to be tie on pockets.



    More paintings resulted in more examples:
    "Woman at her toilet", 1575-78, Alessandro Allori

         
          










    Birth of the Virgin by Alessandro Allori, 1595 
                 












    Sala di Penelope", 1561-62, Giovanni Stradano
               
    It seems that these would be worn outside their clothes similar to a pouch when in informal situations. I did find a passage mentioning wearing a pocket under the skirt when wearing finer clothes “from the side openings of the skirt, corresponding to those of the bodice, it was possible to access the inside pockets, such as that found among the folds of the funeral dress.” (Orsi & Niccoli, 2005)
    The pocket in Eleonora di Toledo's funeral dress skirt, 1562 (Palazzo Pitti, Florence), made of silk taffeta
    With these examples in mind I set off to create my own.
    Creation:
    Pocket 1:
    Because of its unusual nature, having buttons, I thought of giving the stripped pocket from The Maiden's Quarter by Alessandro Allori dated 1588 a try.
               
    As the only extant pockets I could find from within our period of study was made of silk satin or silk taffeta I thought silk would be a good fabric choice to begin with.
                Silk was available and used for clothing within Italy. “The Por Santa Maria guild of Florence, which later came to be known as the Arte della Setta, was a multi-tiered guild. Originally established for the benefit of merchants who sold luxury silk goods, it was later dominated by the producers of silk fabrics, and regulated most activities associated with the production and sale of silk textiles. “(Frick, 2005) Several extant items of clothing from Italy are made from silk and linen. ("The Workbox - The Realm of Venus", n.d. ).
                I found a lovely silk with gold stripes woven into the fabric. It was appropriate for an approximate look of my original and fit within my budget.

    As it is difficult to identify what material the buttons are made of I choose to make a pair of thread wrapped buttons based on the extant buttons shown on garments from Patterns of Fashion by Janet Arnold.           Such buttons were used on several garments; including the burial suit of Cosimo I de’Medici. Many of the buttons are discribed as “silk wrapped around a wooden core.” (Arnold, 1985)
     
    Close up of button from Pattern of Fashion and the Doublet of Cosimo I de’Medici
    My buttons
    I used 12mm round wooden beads as my wooden core, I then used some burgundy thread I had on hand, as I was trying to keep this on a budget. I first wrapped five horizantal “spines” on each button then wove my thread verticaly across the bead and around the spine until the bead is covered.  Inspired by the button from Janet Arnold’s Patterns of Fashion (picture above) I used some gold metal thread to create non-woven sections echoing the look of the inspiration button.
    To create the pocket itself I used a close up of the pocket from "Woman at her toilet", by Alessandro Allori (page 4). I blew up the close up until it was close to my proprotions, length just short of the distance from my waist to a chair when sitting, as seen in the painting. I then cut out my pattern and began assembly of the pocket. I first stitched the front and lining of the opening then stitched the body of the pockets. After contacting the Museo del Traje which is home to one of the only existing pockets from the 16th century (page 1) I was told their pocket did have a lining of silk satin. I can’t say if it was common to line pockets or not as there really is no record to look at. I decided to line my pocket, like the existing pocket. I did this so the seams would be encased and protected as well as to prevent snagging of the seams with any objects I might keep in the pocket.
    It’s difficult to see how the pockets were worn. The Spanish pocket is missing a string attached to it or some way to attach it to an apron. The Toledo pocket is hastily sewn to the inside of the bodice. From the portraits I looked at in my examples there are many worn with an apron and could possibly be somehow attached to the apron strings. There is one woman in The Maiden's Quarter who is brushing her hair who is not wearing an apron. Looking at 18th century examples, while out of our period of study there are a large number of surviving pockets from this period, show a large number attached to their own strings or with a casing to lace a string through.


    References
    Arnold, J. (1985). Patterns of fashion: The cut and construction of clothes for men and women, c1560-1620. London: Macmillan.
    Frick, C. C. (2005). Dressing Renaissance Florence: Families, fortunes, and fine clothing. London: Johns Hopkins University Press.
    Orsi, L. R., & Niccoli, B. (2005). Moda a Firenze, 1540-1580: Lo stile di Eleonora di Toledo e la sua influenza. Firenze: Pagliai Polistampa.
    The Workbox - The Realm of Venus. (n.d.). The Realm Of Venus - Fashion and Style in Renaissance Italy. Retrieved from http://realmofvenus.renaissanceitaly.net/workbox/workbox.htm


    Contrasting the Venetian Noblewoman to the Venetian Courtesan of the 16th century

    THL Madgalena Lucia Ramberti (Christa Gordon © 2009)
    August 24, 2009

                “The eccentric Englishman, Thomas Coryat, exclaimed with astonishment that there were as many as twenty thousand courtesans in Venice in 1608” (Rosenthal, 1992, p. 11). The word courtesan is taken from the term courtier; both the courtier and the courtesan sought political and social advancement within the feudal system during the renaissance.   Courtesans offered social and intellectual refinement in return for patronage, very much in the same manner as the geisha before world war II in Japan. The courtesan fulfilled societies need for a refined yet sexualized version of the noblewoman. “Sought after by certain foreign travelers to Venice for her cultivation and sensual elegance, she was one of the city's famous attractions” (Rosenthal, 1992, p. 73).

                Imagine you are  a male tourist in 16th century Venice; you have traveled here for business or a pilgrimage, and you have high hopes of seeing one of the honest courtesans Venice is so well known for. As you walk the canals you come upon a woman; she is lavishly dressed , obviously a woman of money. Since courtesans dressed in a similar manner to a noblewoman, how would you know if this woman was a courtesan or the doge's wife? The difference between the noblewoman and courtesan of the 16th century were not often easy to spot with the eyes. Unless the courtesan was openly advertising her presence, which could be very dangerous as they were often a target of violence, she would look like a noblewoman. “ As a result, because of the way they dress, courtsans and donne di partito very much resemble married women; they wear rings on their fingers like married women and therefore anyone who is not more than aware can be deceived....The train of their dress is very long; indeed at times some of these courtesans dress like widows and look very much like Venetian noblewomen to those who are not familiar with their condition” (Rosenthal, 1992, p. 70). The differences between the noblewoman and courtesan could be very subtle, but were more clearly defined in the areas of education, and social advancement.

                Levels of education were vastly different between the noblewoman and the courtesan. In the 16th century it was rare for a noblewoman to be educated beyond the basics. “Their education consisted of elementary reading and writing in the vernacular, rudimentary arithmetic, and also  handiwork, such as embroidery and weaving” (Rosenthal, 1992, p. 84). It was believed that Woman’s voice lead to sexual temptation; eloquence in a woman lead to promiscuity.  This belief most likely had ties to the first temptation of Adam in Eden. Whereas a courtesan had to be educated in playing music, singing, writing poetry, all the courtly graces, dancing, chess playing, current events, the classics and witty banter. Libraries were closed to women as a whole but courtesans were seen as intellects and were granted access.

                The noblewoman had no power over her own social advancement, whereas the courtesan had more freedom. Before a noblewoman married, her life and money were governed by her father or brothers. Once married, all her property transferred to her husband.  “Women possessed virtually no political power of their own, owing to an oligarchy dominated by men, and the laws passed by men reveal not only a class bias but a  special arrogance towards women” (Rosenthal, 1992, p. 15). During the renaissance, a person was born and died in the same social class, there was very little movement nor was such movement expected. Courtesans were able to rise from the lower middle classes up into the aristocracy. The Courtesan made enough money to advance her class status and because she was outside of the bonds of marriage she could manage her own money. In response sumptuary laws were passed in attempts to recreate the social boundaries. Such laws were easily overcome as they were often not enforced.
                While the noblewoman did lead the rich life of the upper crust, it is the ability to be so educated and being able to move within the class structure which makes the courtesan a fascinating subject. There is much a modern woman can learn from the women of the past. Whereas the noblewoman was the glue that held her household together; the courtesan was truly the first feminist voice in a male dominated society.
    References
    Rosenthal, M, (1992) The Honest Courtesan. Chicago: The University of Chicago.

    What is a Courtesan? (handout in progress)

     What is a Courtesan?
    Courtesans were not looked at as women nor were they as valued as men, instead they found themselves in a grouping of their own. Within the male dominated society of 16th century Venice courtesans were able to move outside the confines of the believed place reserved for women. “The use of the term cortigiana (courtesan) confirms the recognition of a new category of public women. Strictly speaking, of course, it simply means court lady- the female counterpart of cortigiano or courtier.” (Brown, 2004)

    Courtesans, came into being because of many social, political and religious influences. Italy proved to be the perfect breeding ground for their creation. The separate governing bodies, the lack of an overall monarch and the melting pot of cultures caused by trade opened the doors for this new class of women. Venice, being my main focus of study, had all of these factors and more. The dowry wars had grown to such an extreme that the price to be married became outrageous and out of reach for many middle and lower middle class women. Without marriage, income was limited, status difficult to come by and some women learned to use their minds and bodies for financial gain.

    Yes, this sounds exactly like prostitution “the act or practice of engaging in sexual intercourse for money.” (Prostitution, 2012) Yet it was more then just sex, while it might be a tool in their toolbox it wasn't always a part of a working relationship. Courtesans offered social and intellectual refinement in return for patronage, very much in the same manner as the geisha before World War II in Japan. The courtesan fulfilled societies need for a refined yet sexualized version of the noblewoman. Like her male counterpart the courtier, a courtesan had to be educated in playing music, singing, writing poetry, all the courtly graces, dancing, chess playing, current events, the classics and witty banter. This education and the fact she was also paid for these skills separate her from the lower classes of prostitutes. From the lowest class, the meretrice, picture a streetwalker type, to the cortigiana di lume (courtesan of the lamp) who worked in inn houses and brothels. Both solely dependent on selling sexual favors for their income. The cortigiana onesta (honest courtesan or honored courtesan) sold her intellectual and literary skills thus earned her income “honestly”. Cortigiana onesta never really dismiss the sexual aspects of their profession but it is far from the focus of it.

    In same vein they were not classified as noblewomen, it was rare for a noblewoman to be educated beyond the basics. Rosenthal (1992) says of noblewomen, “Their education consisted of elementary reading and writing in the vernacular, rudimentary arithmetic, and also handiwork, such as embroidery and weaving.” For noblewomen it was also believed that “Woman’s voice lead to sexual temptation; eloquence in a woman lead to promiscuity.” (Masson, 1975) This belief most likely had ties to the first temptation of Adam in Eden, thus creating a society that felt the need to protect it's noblewomen from further education and sheltering them form perceived threats of corruption from outsiders. Libraries were closed to women as a whole but courtesans were seen as intellects and were granted access. Courtesans were able to afford many luxuries and dressed accordingly.

    Courtesan Peek

    So how would a courtesan advertise themselves? Often it came down to subtle signals and word of mouth. While it would be logical to think they would wear taller chopines, have longer trains or more lavish dress, this was not always reliable as Noblewomen tried to draw the eye in the same manner. The only sign I can trace is a move I have coined as the “courtesan peek”. Women when outdoors often wore veils that covered their faces, thus giving them protection not only from the sun but also gave them anonymity thus protecting them from them tempting influences. Yet we see time and time again drawings showing some women lifting and peaking out from under their veils. How provocative this might have been for a gentleman on the street, a touch forbidden, all the while revealing herself to be a courtesan in a subtle manner.

    cite to be attached
    Venetian courtesan - widow http://demodecouture.com/2012/01/lucas-de-heere-16th-c-costume-illustrations/



































    de Heer, Courtesan and widow


    Album Amicorum of a German Soldier
    Album Amicorum of a German Soldier

    De gli Habiti antichi et moderni di Diverse Parti del Mondo' Cesare Vecellio- Venetian courtesan outdoors
    De gli Habiti antichi et moderni di Diverse Parti del Mondo' Cesare Vecellio- Venetian courtesan outdoors

    Venetian courtesan in 'Mores Italiae'
    Venetian courtesan in 'Mores Italiae'

    Pauwels Franck (Paolo Fiammingo)  Venetian Women   Location Unknown  ca. 1595
    Pauwels Franck (Paolo Fiammingo) Venetian Women Location Unknown ca. 1595

    First post

    Welcome to my blog, my plan is to use this area to dump my research, class handouts and anything else I find. Welcome!!