The Polish Renaissance In Its European Context

The study of funeral monuments is a growing field, but monuments erected to commemorate children have so far received little attention. Whilst the practice of erecting monuments to the dead was widespread across Renaissance Europe, the vast majority of these commemorated adults, with children generally only appearing as part of their parents' memorials. However, as this study reveals, in Poland there developed a very different tradition of funerary monuments designed for, and dedicated to, individual children - daughters as well as sons. The book consists of five major parts, which could be read in any order, though the overall sequencing is based on the premise that an understanding of the context and background will enhance a reading of these fascinating child monuments. Consequently, there is a progression of knowledge presented from the broader context of the earlier parts, towards the final parts where the actual child monuments are discussed in detail. Thus the book begins with an overview of the wider cultural contexts of funerary monuments and where children fitted into this. It then moves on to to look at the 'forgotten Renaissance' of central Europe and specifically the situation in Poland. The middle part addresses the 'culture of memory', examining the role of funerary monuments in reinforcing social, religious and familial continuity. The last parts deal with the physical monuments: empirical data, iconography and iconology. Through this illuminating consideration of children's monuments, the book raises a host of fascinating questions relating to Polish social and cultural life, family structure, attitudes to children and gender. It also addresses the issue of why Poland witnessed this unusual development, and what this tells us about the transmission of cultural and artistic ideas across Renaissance Europe. Drawing upon social and cultural history, visual and gender studies, the work not only asks important new questions, but provides a fresh perspective on some familiar topics and themes within Renaissance history.

The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is often considered an 'aberration' where monarchy was reduced by the nobility to impotence, and which was consequently partitioned. However, historians' reappraisal of monarchy in early modern Europe calls for a reconsideration of the extent of Polish-Lithuanian 'divergence'. The essays of this collection assess the institution and idea of monarchy in one of Europe's largest and most neglected states. It will appeal to all those interested in early modern history.

The Renaissance in National Context aims to dispel the commonly-held view that the great efflorescence of art, learning and culture in the period from c. 1350 to 1550 was solely or even primarily an Italian phenomenon. These essays address the development of art, literacy and humanism across the length and breadth of Europe, showing that the Renaissance had many sources independent of Italy, meeting numerous local needs, and serving diverse local functions, specific to the political, economic, social and religious climates of various regions and principalities. The authors show that though the Renaissance was in a fashion backward-looking, recovering the culture of antiquity, it nevertheless served as the springboard for many specifically modern developments, including the rise of diplomacy, education, printing, nationalism, and the "new science."

The book explores the patronage, formation, and symbolism of the Renaissance Torah ark in Polish synagogues.