As part of a three part series of sessions addressing the absent body throughout the history of western art, this session explores the ways in which the absent body is represented in medieval and Renaissance art. For this session, papers are invited that address representations of the absent body in art from between the years 800 and 1600 from the region of Europe and the Mediterranean. Papers might address this topic by focusing on religious or secular works that depict the body symbolically or in fragmented form. Topics that may be considered include, but are not limited to, discussion of relics, reliquaries, the Eucharist, the Trinity, funerary art, and courtly culture. In addition, papers might consider the impact that Christian decorum had on artists’ ability to represent the body during the Middle Ages as well as how these moral values changed with the rise of humanism and the Renaissance.

The deadline for abstracts is April 20, 2012. To submit an abstract, please go to: http://www.secollegeart.org/forms/secac2012-Durham-Call-for-Papers-Proposal-form-and-info.pdf

For any questions, please contact Emily Kelley edkelley@svsu.edu