Join Scott Crawford in our latest History Lecture
Saturday, May 13
11:00 AM
Location: Martinsville Library
This engaging and humorous talk will explore how artists have used physiognomy, the practice of using physical features to highlight personality and character traits, in art over the course of the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Following this tour of amazing works of art, and referring to the various artists' use of physiognomy, historian B. Scott Crawford will lead the audience as they decode a late 16th century portrait of the playwright, exiled politician, and political theorist Niccolo Machiavelli, by Santi di Tito. Based on di Tito's portrayal of Machiavelli, and how he uses physiognomy to advance a certain character associated with him, the audience will briefly examine what it was about Machiavelli's writings that were, and continue to be, so controversial.
