Representations of intimacy and the historiography of early modern private life
This thesis argues that the history of early modern private life has erroneously deployed a model of sixteenth-century private/public relations which is by turns absolutist and feudal. Specifically challenging the influence of David Starkey's paradigm of ~intimacy~ with the monarch as the prior condition of Tudor representation, I submit five case studies of Renaissance literary and visual intimacy, arguing instead for a model of social proximities that takes account of the textuality of intimacy, the textual construction of privacy and the cultural importance of works which lie outside the domain of royal patronage and representation. I consider the ways in which sixteenth-century treatments of the Henry VIII's ~minion~, Mark Smeaton, and John Heywood's construction of the minion in The Play of the Wether (1533) are linked by their attempt to negotiate the subject of sexual intimacy with the king. I argue for Gerlach Flicke's 1554 prison diptych of himself with the pirate Henry Strangeways as an articulation of subaltern intimacy between men connected by their criminal status. I contend that the miniature portraits by the mid-Tudor court artist Levina Teerlinc are testaments to social and mercantile proximities
Bracher, Tricia Amanda
Representations of intimacy and the historiography of early modern private life. This thesis argues that the history of early modern private life has erroneously deployed a model of sixteenth-century private/public relations which is by turns absolutist and feudal. Specifically challenging the influence of David Starkey's paradigm of ~intimacy~ with the monarch as the prior condition of Tudor representation, I submit five case studies of Renaissance literary and visual intimacy, arguing instead for a model of social proximities that takes account of the textuality of intimacy, the textual construction of privacy and the cultural importance of works which lie outside the domain of royal patronage and representation. I consider the ways in which sixteenth-century treatments of the Henry VIII's ~minion~, Mark Smeaton, and John Heywood's construction of the minion in The Play of the Wether (1533) are linked by their attempt to negotiate the subject of sexual intimacy with the king. I argue for Gerlach Flicke's 1554 prison diptych of himself with the pirate Henry Strangeways as an articulation of subaltern intimacy between men connected by their criminal status. I contend that the miniature portraits by the mid-Tudor court artist Levina Teerlinc are testaments to social and mercantile proximities
representations intimacy historiography early_modern private_life argues history early_modern private_life deploy model sixteenth_century private_public relation turn absolutist feudal specifically challenge influence paradigm intimacy monarch prior condition tudor representation submit five_case study renaissance literary visual intimacy argue instead model social proximity take_account textuality intimacy textual construction cultural importance work lie outside domain royal_patronage representation consider way sixteenth_century treatment henry_viii mark john construction play link attempt negotiate subject sexual intimacy king argue prison pirate henry articulation subaltern intimacy men connect criminal status contend miniature portrait mid tudor court artist social mercantile proximity