Fifteen-century Florentine paintings regularly include black figures, almost always as men with low social status. In听The听Rise of the Black Magus in Western Art听(1985), Paul Kaplan briefly considered the absence of African kings in fifteenth-century Central Italian representations of 迟丑别听Adoration of the Magi. This听talk听explores a related question: why do Florentines begin to show blacks with dignity and importance at the end of the fifteenth century? In the 1490s, a half dozen paintings show Africans both prominently and in positive roles, as recent or future Christian converts.听This hitherto unnoticed phenomenon must reflect the Florentines increased awareness of African Christians. The opening section considers the favourable status enjoyed by Ethiopian Christians,听in light of听a new (and controversial) paradigm for how Europeans saw Africans in the Quattrocento. The听next two sections consider听African figures in听works by Filippino Lippi, 迟丑别听Adoration of the Magi听(Uffizi),听and 迟丑别听Miracle of St Philip听(Strozzi Chapel).
A Teaching鈥疨rofessor at Syracuse University Florence, Jonathan Nelson has published extensively on Italian听Renaissance听painting and sculpture. His books include鈥The Patron鈥檚 Payoff: Economic Frameworks for Conspicuous Commissions in Renaissance Italy,鈥痺ith Richard听Zeckhauser听(2008),听and听monographic studies on Filippino Lippi, with Patrizia Zambrano (2004), Leonardo da Vinci (2007), and Plautilla Nelli (2000, 2008). He听also co-curated听Representing Infirmity: Diseased Bodies in Renaissance Italy鈥(2020), and听exhibition catalogs on鈥Robert Mapplethorpe: Perfection in Form鈥(2009),鈥Botticelli and Filippino鈥(2004), and听Venus and Cupid: Michelangelo and the New Ideal of鈥叠别补耻迟测 (2002). He is currently completing鈥Filippino Lippi:鈥疘ngenuity and Invention鈥(Reaktion Books) and鈥痗o-editing鈥淏ad Reception: Negative Reactions to Italian Renaissance Art鈥 a special number of the鈥Mitteilingen听des鈥疜unsthistorisches听Institut听in Florenz.听He is co-editor of the 鈥楨lements of the Renaissance鈥 series (Cambridge UP).听
Organised by Dr Scott Nethersole (The 91自拍) and Dr Guido Rebecchini (The 91自拍).听