La Donna e La Maniera Devota: Lavinia Fontana, Sacred Imagery and the Natural Sciences in Sixteenth-Century Bologna Marlene Misiuk A Thesis in The Department of Art History Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts (Art History) at Concordia University Montréal, Québec, Canada July 2018 © Marlene Misiuk, 2018 CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY School of Graduate Studies This is to certify that the thesis prepared By: Marlene Misiuk Entitled: La Donna e La Maniera Devota: Lavinia Fontana, Sacred Imagery and the Natural Sciences in Sixteenth-Century Bologna and submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (Art History) complies with the regulations of the University and meets the accepted standards with respect to originality and quality. Signed by the final Examining Committee: Chair Dr. Johanne Sloan Examiner Dr. Kristina Huneault Supervisor Dr. Steven Stowell Approved by Dr. Kristina Huneault, Graduate Program Director 2018 Dr. Rebecca Taylor Duclos, Dean of Faculty of Fine Arts Abstract La Donna e La Maniera Devota: Lavinia Fontana, Sacred Imagery and the Natural Sciences in Sixteenth-Century Bologna Marlene Misiuk Women’s contribution to the program of Counter-Reformation Christian art has often been overshadowed in scholarship by extensive research into genres typically associated with women in the period such as portraiture, landscape and still life. This thesis newly addresses the sacred artwork of the painter Lavinia Fontana (1552–1614) within the unique context of sixteenth-century Bologna, where the colourful social and intellectual network inspired, endorsed, and influenced her practice. Reassessing Fontana’s sacred images through a contextual framework, I focus on two prominent Bolognese figures: the archbishop Gabriel Paleotti (1522-1597), and the natural historian Ulisse Aldrovandi (1522-1605). Fontana’s sacred paintings follow Paleotti’s post- tridentine art theory by means of her rigorous attention to rendering Scripture clearly and accurately. She may have also enhanced the contemplative possibilities of her images by utilizing her knowledge of natural history. In some cases, paintings by Fontana may call attention to particular flora and fauna species to introduce meaningful symbolism. Upon addressing natural history in Bologna in further detail, it becomes apparent that the Bolognese were highly interested in “New World” knowledge, which undoubtedly had an impact on Italian perception, as well as European Christian art. Scripture, science, and natural history converge in this thesis to shed light on Fontana’s often overlooked religious art practice and what it could have meant to her beholders. iii Acknowledgements This thesis research would not have been possible without the mentorship, encouragement, and guidance of my supervisor, Dr. Steven Stowell. I am greatly indebted to Steven for sharing his knowledge, resources, and experience in academia. Steven was incredibly generous and patient in teaching me an art form in itself founded in the archives, the study and transcription of early modern manuscripts. His passion, ceaseless insight, and motivational support during my research propelled my work in every stage. He believed in me even in the moments where I felt I was faced with an arduous historical task. Working with Dr. Stowell has been a pleasure and an honour and I am forever grateful. I would also like to extend my thanks and gratitude to several others who enriched my academic experience. I am greatly thankful to my reader Dr. Kristina Huneault for her interest and support in my research topic at the time of presentation, as well as for her invaluable insight and feedback during final revisions. I would like to thank David Douglas whose research skills as a Latinist brought a fascinating extra dimension to my research into natural history. Thanks to Elisa Gamberini from the Archiepiscopal Seminary of Bologna who helped fulfill my lifelong dream of being able to spend solitary time studying a painting by Lavinia Fontana in such an incredible sacred space. Many thanks to the archival staff that welcomed me at the University of Bologna Library Aldrovandi archives and at the Rare Books Collection in the McGill University Library. I am also very grateful for the generous research funding I received at Concordia from the Department of Art History, the Faculty of Fine Arts, and the Morrie and Diane Cohen Graduate Award in Art History. Thank you to my mother Anna for her kindess and emotional support, and thanks to my father Peter for his interest in my passion for art history. Much love and gratitude to my partner Eric who helped me edit and revise my writing, and who seemingly never got tired of learning about Lavinia Fontana. Lastly, thanks to my friends and extended family for their encouragement and support through out my studies. This thesis is dedicated to my grandmother, Liliana Pelini, who was the embodiment of a true Renaissance woman. iv Table of Contents List of Figures ................................................................................................................................ vi Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter I……………………………………………………………………………………………. The Politics of The Draco Bononiensis............................................................................. 12 Lavinia Fontana’s Holy Family with Saint Francis and Margaret (1578) ...................... 21 Virtù and Virtual Pilgrimage in The Apparition of the Madonna and Child to Five Saints (1601) ................................................................................................................................ 30 Chapter II........................................................................................................................................... Navigando Il Paesaggio Sacro: Post-Tridentine Christian Archeology in Fontana’s Bologna ............................................................................................................................. 36 Bearing the Marks of Christ: A Historiography of Saint Francis’s Stigmata ................... 40 The Natural History of Fontana’s Stigmatization of Saint Francis (1579)…………….. 47 Chapter III.......................................................................................................................................... Fontana’s Noli me Tangere and Sacred Scripture ............................................................ 50 Magdalene Imagery and Reforming Women in Sixteenth-Century Bologna ................... 55 Noli me Tangere, Sacred Trees, and Holy Wood ............................................................. .61 Conclusion. ................................................................................................................................... .76 Figures. ...........................................................................................................................................79 Bibliography ............................................................................................................................... ..137 v List of Figures Fig. 1: Draco Bononiensis, illustration of the dragon that appeared in the Bolognese countryside on 13 May 1572, from BUB, Aldrovandi, 4, Tavole di animali, 130. Fig. 2: Draco Bononiensis, illustration of the dragon that appeared in the Bolognese countryside on 13 May 1572, from Ulisse Aldrovandi and Bartolommeo Ambrosini, Serpentum, Et Draconum Historiae Libri Duo. Bononiae: Bernia, 1640, p. 404, Rare Books and Special Collections, Folio: QL641 A43 1640, McLennan Library Building, McGill University, Montréal, Québec. Fig. 3: Draco Alatus Apes Grevino and Draco Alati Figura ex Pareo (winged dragons), from Ulisse Aldrovandi and Bartolommeo Ambrosini, Serpentum, Et Draconum Historiae Libri Duo. Bononiae: Bernia, 1640, p. 419-420, Rare Books and Special Collections, Folio: QL641 A43 1640, McLennan Library Building, McGill University, Montréal, Québec. Fig. 4: Frontispiece, Fabrizi, Principio. Delle Allusioni, Imprese, Et Emblemi Del Sig. Principio Fabricii Da Teramo Sopra La Vita, Opere, Et Attioni Di Gregorio XIII Pontefice Massimo Libri VI. Nei Quali Sotto Lallegoria De Drago, Arme Del Detto Dun Principe Christiano; & Altre Cose ... N. Bonifatio, 1588. https://archive.org/details/delleallusioniim00fabr. Fig. 5: Emblem no. 97, Felix Praesegium (Lucky Protector), from Fabrizi, Principio. Delle Allusioni, Imprese, Et Emblemi Del Sig. Principio Fabricii Da Teramo Sopra La Vita, Opere, Et Attioni Di Gregorio XIII Pontefice Massimo Libri VI. Nei Quali Sotto Lallegoria De Drago, Arme Del Detto Dun Principe Christiano; & Altre Cose... N. Bonifatio, 1588, p 145. https://archive.org/details/delleallusioniim00fabr. Fig. 6: Emblem no. 75, Potestas in Demones (Over Devils), from Fabrizi, Principio. Delle Allusioni, Imprese, Et Emblemi Del Sig. Principio Fabricii Da Teramo Sopra La Vita, Opere, Et Attioni Di Gregorio XIII Pontefice Massimo Libri VI. Nei Quali Sotto Lallegoria De Drago, Arme Del Detto Dun Principe Christiano; & Altre Cose... N. Bonifatio, 1588, p 101. https://archive.org/details/delleallusioniim00fabr. Fig. 7: Gregory XIII’s coat of arms (detail of floor decoration), Vatican City, Saint Peter’s, Gregorian Chapel, Rome. Source: Ruffini, Marco. “A Dragon for the Pope: Politics and Emblematics at the court of Gregory XIII.” Memoirs of the American Academy in