(Dis)ability and the Making of the Early Modern Artist

Abstract

This dissertation examines the connections between (dis)ability, art, and identity in early modern Europe, questioning prevailing accounts that have formed biased narratives of disability history. As used in this dissertation, the term (dis)ability describes the fluid and socioculturally constructed norms that define disability experience, eliminating the binary division between disability/ability. Through an analysis of first-person visual and literary depictions of disability, this research investigates the experiences of three early modern artists: Hendrick Goltzius, Gian Paolo Lomazzo, and Jacopo Pontormo. Utilizing Critical Disability Theory, an interdisciplinary approach that analyzes disability as a cultural, historical, and social phenomenon shaped by power relations, this study uncovers the versatile aspects of disability during the early modern era, emphasizing themes of disability gain and pride, and illustrating how these artists navigated their embodied experiences and shaped their identities in varied professional environments. Ultimately, this research showcases the transformative influence of (dis)ability in reshaping the creative process, theoretical output, and self-fashioning. Plain Language Abstract:This dissertation explores how disability, art, and identity intersected in early modern Europe. It challenges common misconceptions about disability history by looking at the experiences of three artists who lived at the end of the sixteenth century: Hendrick Goltzius, Gian Paolo Lomazzo, and Jacopo Pontormo. Using a critical disability perspective, this research shows how these artists’ disability experiences influenced their creative work and sense of self. This study looks at the artists' own words and art to understand how disability affected them. It shows how disability can strongly and often positively impact an artist’s work and sense of self.