Ancient, Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque Art and Architecture Commons^™

Evidence Of The Complexity Of The Conversion To Christianity In Early Medieval Funerary Stone Carvings Of Pagan Cultures In Scotland And Scandinavia, Cameron Genet

Theses

This thesis focuses on stone monuments created between the late fifth to late twelfth centuries CE, specifically in Scotland and Sweden. The aim of this thesis is to interpret the symbols or images inscribed onto the stone monuments to determine what they reveal about the Christianization of these regions. The Picts in Scotland and the Norse in Sweden left behind several standing stones such as the Craw Stane from the Picts and the Ledberg Stone from the Norse which have various symbols carved into them. These stones were sometimes created in connection with a burial, allowing the interpretations of their …

The Arch And The Looking Glass: Umbli Cu Cioara Vopsitǎ, Ana Popescu

Masters Theses

The Arch and The Looking Glass: Umbli Cu Cioara Vopsită (You Are Walking Around with a Painted Crow)

A thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Fine Arts in Ceramics in the Department of Ceramics of the Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, Rhode Island.

By Ana Popescu, 2025

Approved by Master’s Examination Committee:

Lesley Baker, Shoji Satake (Chair), Heather Bhandari, Tucker Houlihan

Date: May 17th, 2025

Location: Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, Rhode Island

To be opened for self-reflection in 10 years, on May 17th, 2035:

I’ve been mulling over how to make …

Chess As A Visual Language: Women Playing Love In The Medieval Courts Of Spain And France, Zoe Kobs

Undergraduate Theses in Art History

This thesis explores the visual representations of the game of chess in two case studies during the medieval period in the courts of Europe: manuscript illustrations in Spain, and a carved ivory mirror case in France. These case studies reveal how visual objects were used to construct cultural realities. Specifically, they illustrate how depictions of chess combined with the presence of women not only alluded to romantic possibilities, but also dictated the role, conduct, and perception of women in the medieval courts. The imagined woman’s adherence to expected court rules, rules stemming from chess games, and the art of love …

Fired And Fractured: An Analysis Of Broken Ceramics, Evan Mcguire

Honors Projects

How does the construction of a ceramic object affect how it breaks? How does the force applied affect this break? These questions are based on my first-hand observations of the multitude of ceramic fragments found in different states of decay at archaeological sites. To answer these questions, I created samples that imitate ancient ceramics and then broke them in different ways. I then analyzed the fracture surfaces and looked for evidence of weak points in the objects. Pieces that were hit by a blunt force, such as a hammer, had radial fractures that formed along paths that had clusters of …

The Unicorn And Christ – Metamorphosis And Symbology, Luis Mendonça De Carvalho, Francisca Maria Fernandes, Maria Fátima Nunes, Ana Maria Costa, Paula Nozes, Ana Paula Figueira

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The unicorn is a legendary chimaera that, for centuries, has been present in the mindset of Euro-Mediterranean cultures. Although its morphological description changed, tradition identifies it as an animal like a horse, albeit smaller and with a spiralling horn on its head pointing forward. The unicorn has been known since Antiquity, with references by authors such as Ctesias and Pliny. However, its relevance for medieval Europeans began with the Biblical references to this animal in several Old Testament verses. These verses gave legitimacy to the unicorn, and it was accepted as a tangible animal. During the Middle Ages and early …

Trans-Pacific Connections: Chinese Porcelain And Aztec Motifs In Colonial Mexico, Natalia Ramirez

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

This research explores artworks within the Global Baroque as visual and ideological evidence through which colonial power, trade, and cross-cultural influence shaped the material culture of the early modern world. Centering on blue and white ceramics as a key medium of transcultural and trans-local exchange, the study analyzes how global motifs, particularly those drawn from Aztec and Chinese traditions, were reinterpreted, aestheticized, and circulated in Aztec and Novohispanic artistic practices.

Through a close observational comparison of Aztec and Chinese decorative systems, the study recognizes contrasting systems of cultural documentation embedded within similar visual forms. Aztec motifs, rooted in ritual, calendrical, …

Trans-Pacific Connections: Unveiling Cultural Exchange Through Baroque Folding Screens Of Japan And Mexico, Natalia Christine Ramirez

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

This study focuses into the often-overlooked world of 16th-17th-century globally-mobile folding screens, revealing them as vastly important cultural objects. While conventional scholarship tends to compartmentalize artistic traditions, focusing on isolated cultures, this research emphasizes the vibrant exchanges that connected Japan and Mexico during the ‘Baroque’ period. By contrasting the Conquest of Mexico screen with the Japanese Namban Folding Screen, the nuances and vastness of cultural interaction through creative objects becomes illuminated and revered as important pieces of global history.

Through applying global art historical theories, especially the concept of the ‘global Baroque,’ I explore how Mexican biombo screens adapted from …

Moiré And Its Ineffable Liquidity: A Study Of Pictorial Watered Silk In The Works Of Andrea Mantegna, Giovanni Bellini And Raphael, Olivia Birkelund

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores pictorial moiré in Renaissance Italian paintings, arguing that its liquid appearance held spiritual and humanist resonances beyond luxury. Through dissemblant facture, artists Giovanni Bellini, Mantegna and Raphael rendered a moiré with overtones of the Incarnation, sacred fluidity, and fertility, creating meditative sites of theological and cultural meaning.

Hemispheres Of Faith: Mapping The Global Journey Of An Ivory Rosary Bead At The Metropolitan Museum Of Art, Mary M. Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

Hemispheres of Faith reattributes a carved ivory rosary bead in the Metropolitan Museum of Art to the Quito School in 18th-century Ecuador. Through examining the trade history of the Manila Galleons, material analysis, and iconographic study, Hemispheres of Faith challenges the bead's European origins and reveals the object as a product of global exchange, devotional practice, and colonial artistic collaboration within the Spanish Empire.

Medusa's Metamorphosis: Art, Mythology, And The Changing Perception Of Female Power, Elizabeth Kehr

School of Art, Art History, and Design: Theses and Student Creative Work

The evolution of Medusa’s iconography in ancient Greek art mirrors societal and cultural transformations. As attitudes shifted in relation to gender roles, power relationships, and morality changed, so too did images of the Gorgon. Following the course of development of Medusa’s image allows one to discover details of the thoughts and struggles the ancient Greeks had with concepts of power, womanhood, and monstrosity and otherness. Previous art historical research on Medusa has largely examined her function and evolution of visual depictions from the Archaic monster to Classical ideal. Few, however, have explored how and why these changes may be indicative …

The Queen Of Heaven: Evelyn De Morgan's Transcendence Of The Soul, Sarah Victoria Eller

Theses

This thesis examines the religious iconography in three key paintings by the Pre-Raphaelite artist Evelyn De Morgan, The Angel of Death, The Undiscovered Country, and Lux in Tenebris, and explores how they draw on Early Italian Renaissance visual traditions to depict themes of death and the soul’s transcendence. Recent scholarship has assessed De Morgan’s oeuvre through the feminist lens and emphasized her engagement with Spiritualism and the nineteenth-century revival of Swedenborgian philosophy. The Renaissance artist Sandro Botticelli has also been recognized as an influential reference for De Morgan, particularly in her mythologically themed works. This study expands on that scope …

Framing Queenship: Gender, Power, And Political Representation In Holbein’S Portraits Of Jane Seymour And Anne Of Cleves, Kateryna Chernenko

Theses

This paper explores the intricate relationship between queenship, gender, and political representation as depicted in Hans Holbein’s portraits of Jane Seymour and Anne of Cleves, two wives of Henry VIII. By analyzing these works within the framework of Tudor England's gender dynamics, we can better understand how Holbein’s portraits transcend mere artistic expression to serve as critical commentaries on the roles of women in a predominantly patriarchal society. Recent scholarly trends emphasize the significance of gender in the interpretation of historical art, revealing how these portraits reflect, challenge, and reinforce the societal constructs of their time. This study focuses on …

An Exploration Of Irish Celtic & Early Germanic Brooches And Their Cultural Functions, Lisa Michele Medlen Mueller

Theses

During the early medieval period in the British Isles, jewelry objects, in particular brooches, served many functions, while simultaneously expressing differing social hierarchies and distinctions. The following analysis investigates the forms, materials, iconography, and symbolism present in brooches created by Irish Celtic and early Germanic peoples from the 7th to the 9th centuries CE, also termed Insular artworks. Additionally, this research examines the performative aspects of early medieval brooches in the British Isles, exploring their social roles as mediators between wearer and viewer. By analyzing specific examples such as the 'Tara' Brooch, Kingston Brooch, Londesborough Brooch, and Strickland Brooch, this …

Trembling At The Threshold: Zurbarán's Saints And The Crisis Of Masculine Virtue, Andrew T. Epsilantis

Theses

No abstract provided.

The Evolution Of The Divine Feminine: How Religious Upheaval Changed Female Devotions, Nicole M. Honeycutt

Institute for the Humanities Master's Papers, Projects, and Capstones

The transformation in the depiction of women in Christian religious art from pre-Reformation through the Counter-Reformation mirrored and molded shifting theological, cultural, and gender paradigms. While much scholarship has addressed the symbolic and doctrinal significance of female figures in sacred imagery, less attention has been paid to how such portrayals influenced women’s own devotional experiences and sense of spiritual agency. This study argues that the religious imagery was not merely a passive reflection of male-dominated ecclesiastical values, but an evolving communicative medium through which women could engage with and reshape their spiritual roles. By analyzing key artworks, patronage trends, and …

Rinceaux: Authority And Botanical Transcendance In Medieval Authorship, Kyle J. Gunning

Senior Honors Projects

“Rinceaux: Authority and Botanical Transcendence in Medieval Authorship” is a research paper I composed which followed a semester of research that sought to explore various constructions of authorship throughout the late-medieval period. My research considered the field of Chaucer Studies as its main subject, making central the ways in which methodologies such as paleography, codicology, and literary analysis can provide different contexts with which we may understand late-medieval writing and authorship. Throughout the research period I consulted scholarship from a variety of disciplines, analyzed digital manuscript facsimiles, compared textual variations in manuscript transliterations, and studied modern printed editions of medieval …

Tile In Time: The Study Of Interiors Through Art, Lauren Nielsen

Student Research Symposium

Lauren is a senior in the Interior Architecture and Design program at Utah State University. Her design philosophy centers around storytelling—she believes that great design not only transforms spaces but also tells meaningful stories. When she graduates, Lauren hopes to work in a historic preservation capacity. This projects draws inspiration from the past as we step into the future.

Removing The Veil: An Audiovisual Exploration Of Medieval Jewish Art, Ray Kaplan

Student Research Symposium

• Purpose: analyze the harmful narratives created by antisemitic art, uplift Jewish Medieval artwork instead
• In-progress URCO, to be done at the end of April
• Ultimate product: video essay
• Project delayed due to evolution of original concept
• Where it's at now

Theological Rituals Of Death: An Archaeological Case Study Of A Thirteenth Century Christian Burial Site, Makayla J. Bowman

Research and Creativity Symposium

This study examines the theological principles reflected in the burial practices of El Corral de los Condes, a thirteenth-century cemetery associated with the Knights of Calatrava at Zorita de los Canes, Spain. Founded during the Crusades, the Knights combined monastic vows with military service, emphasizing poverty, chastity, and obedience. Archaeological evidence from El Corral de los Condes reveals burials devoid of grave goods, consistent with Christian ideals of renouncing earthly possessions at death, as exemplified in Athanasius’ Life of Antony. The orientation of burials along an East/West axis, with heads facing east, aligns with early Christian eschatology, symbolizing the …

Titian’S Bacchus And His Two Loves, Fern Luskin

Publications and Research

Titian's Bacchus and Ariadne represents not only Bacchus' attraction to Ariadne, as has long been recognized, but also his infatuation with a boy-satyr, Ampelos, who struts at the centre of the composition. The little satyr's identity, recognized in the seventeenth century, but overlooked by modern scholars, is confirmed by newly revealed pentimenti. Titian was probably the first to embed this homoerotic love story in a painting depicting the Bacchus and Ariadne myth. The textual impetus for Titian's inclusion of the Ampelos myth was Nonnos' Dionysiaca. Guided by Nonnos' text, Titian alludes not only to Bacchus' love for Ampelos, …