UROP Project

Mapping Out the Face of Christ in Baroque Italy and Spain

History of Art, History of Religion, Iconography, Art Theory

Research Mentor: lpericolo@fsu.edu Lorenzo Pericolo, Dr. Prof.
Department, College, Affiliation: Art History, Fine Arts
Contact Email: lpericolo@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:

Looking for Research Assistants: Yes
Number of Research Assistants: 1
Relevant Majors: Art History/ Museum and Cultural Heritage Studies
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required:
Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
Not participating in the roundtable

Project Description

"Mapping Out the Face of Christ in Baroque Italy Spain" aims to build a database of all the depictions of Christ's face in painting, print, drawing, and sculpture executed in Italy and Spain during the period 1580–1660. The overall objective of this research is to establish a chart of typologies necessary to 1) determine the impact of Counter-Reformation archaeological and historical studies devoted to the human appearance of Christ and its specificities on late sixteenth- and seventeenth-century artists; 2) identify the reasons for possible divergences between the Counter-Reformation's instructions in matter of sacred iconography and the practice and conventions of artists; 3) circumscribe the role and strength of traditional iconography in conveying depictions of Christ at odds with historical and archaeological knowledge promoted by the Counter-Reformation; 4) assess the role of the ancient canon of beauty in reinforcing or disrupting the Christian aesthetics of divinity; 5) determine the independent role of artists in reconfiguring the depiction of Christ in accordance with specific notions of devotion or beauty. This research project is destined to 1) the development and expansion of undergraduate and graduate courses in early modern art; 2) the development of a major monograph on the body in the baroque age.

Research Tasks: The student selected for this project will 1) build a database in conformity with the criteria discussed in advance with the mentor 2) identify typologies as the project advances and create a chart accordingly (data analysis) 3) gather the relevant literature review in relation to the typologies identified and/or proposed.

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Required: a basic knowledge of early modern art history; critical aptitude; analytical mindset; strong taste for research rooted in curiosity; mental flexibility.
Recommended: basic knowledge of either Italian or Spanish.