The erotic frescoes adorning a chamber in San Gimignano's communal bell tower are among the most fascinating surviving examples of secular art from the late Middle Ages. Despite their fame, neither these frescoes—which include scenes of two lovers in a bathtub and Aristotle ridden by his seductress—nor those of the commune council hall have been well understood as products of the communal culture they represent. Here Jean Campbell explores the sources and significance of the images on these walls by constructing an interdisciplinary microhistory of an early Italian commune. Her investigation addresses notions of nobility, personal display, and public space, describing how the game of courting colored urban life in the age of Dante.

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Author

PublisherPrinceton University Press

Print publication date February 1998 (out of print)

Print ISBN 9780691012100

EISBN 9780300274202

Illustrations 62

Print Status out of print

Publisher (out of print)

WorldCat

Google Books

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