The Balue Nielli: Intercultural Exchange and Conspicuous Consumption in 15th-century France and Italy
Location
Science Center, A254
Document Type
Presentation
Start Date
4-25-2014 2:45 PM
End Date
4-25-2014 3:45 PM
Abstract
In the second half of the 15th century, the French Cardinal Jean Balue (c. 1421–1491) commissioned a lavish set of niello silver book covers decorated with New Testament scenes and emblazoned with his coat of arms. Now divided between the Cleveland Museum of Art and Minneapolis Institute of Arts, the nielli are a window into the confluence of political, artistic, and trade networks among the Valois court, the Vatican, and Florence. This study examines the possible dating of the covers, the nature of the manuscript they bound, the niello as an understudied medium, and Cardinal Balue’s identity as a patron in France and Rome.
Recommended Citation
Larson, Brenna, "The Balue Nielli: Intercultural Exchange and Conspicuous Consumption in 15th-century France and Italy" (04/25/14). Senior Symposium. 30.
https://digitalcommons.oberlin.edu/seniorsymp/2014/presentations/30
Major
Art History
Advisor(s)
Erik Inglis, Art History
Project Mentor(s)
Erik Inglis, Art History
Christina Neilson, Art History
April 2014
The Balue Nielli: Intercultural Exchange and Conspicuous Consumption in 15th-century France and Italy
Science Center, A254
In the second half of the 15th century, the French Cardinal Jean Balue (c. 1421–1491) commissioned a lavish set of niello silver book covers decorated with New Testament scenes and emblazoned with his coat of arms. Now divided between the Cleveland Museum of Art and Minneapolis Institute of Arts, the nielli are a window into the confluence of political, artistic, and trade networks among the Valois court, the Vatican, and Florence. This study examines the possible dating of the covers, the nature of the manuscript they bound, the niello as an understudied medium, and Cardinal Balue’s identity as a patron in France and Rome.
Notes
Session II, Panel 8 - Enigmatic Art Objects: Case Studies of Social Practice, Tricksters, and Patronage
Moderator: Susan Kane, Mildred C. Jay Professor of Art and Classical Archaeology