In this thesis I argue that Michelangelo's Cleopatra drawing for his friend Tommaso de'Cavalieri has been isolated from its historical circumstances, its literary and visual context, and ultimately its political context as well. Michelangelo's depiction of the ancient queen Cleopatra at the moment of her suicide fits into a substantial literary and visual tradition. Working through this extensive tradition, I provide multiple examples of powerful Renaissance patrons utilizing the image of Cleopatra for political ends. In this thesis I suggest that Michelangelo also utilized the complex iconography of Cleopatra's suicide to make a statement about his and Cavalieri's shared political beliefs. The meaning of Michelangelo's Cleopatra can best be understood by considering the historical context of the artist's relationship with Cavalieri. I provide in this thesis a new understanding of Michelangelo and Cavalieri's relationship based on both men's civic-mindedness, demonstrated through an active involvement in the government of their respective cities. In light of the significant role politics played in Michelangelo and Cavalieri's friendship, the artist's reference to a pivotal figure in the history of the Roman Republic takes on new meaning. I argue throughout this thesis that the Cleopatra conveyed heightened political meaning for the two friends. This study not only illuminates the meaning of the drawing, but also adds to our understanding of how politics informed Michelangelo and Cavalieri's life-long friendship. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Art History in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts. / Spring Semester, 2013. / March 22, 2013. / Cleopatra, Michelangelo, Politics in Renaissance Rome, Roman Republic, Tommaso
de'Cavalieri / Includes bibliographical references. / Jack Freiberg, Professor Directing Thesis; Robert Neuman, Committee Member; Stephanie Leitch, Committee Member.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_183921 |
| Contributors | Upshaw, Abigail (authoraut), Freiberg, Jack (professor directing thesis), Neuman, Robert (committee member), Leitch, Stephanie (committee member), Department of Art History (degree granting department), Florida State University (degree granting institution) |
| Publisher | Florida State University, Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, text |
| Format | 1 online resource, computer, application/pdf |
| Rights | This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). The copyright in theses and dissertations completed at Florida State University is held by the students who author them. |
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