The Art of Mourning: Autobiographical Writings on the Loss of a Son in Italian Humanist Thought (1400-1461)

The theory and practice of proffering consolation commanded a prominent place in humanist moral thought and literature. Reviving and furthering the tradition of the ancient consolatio, Renaissance writers formulated solace for such problems as bereavement, the fear of death, illness, despair, and mi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Renaissance quarterly 1986-10, Vol.39 (3), p.440-475
Main Author: McClure, George W.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Children
Death
Grief
Humanism
Immortality
Literary dialogue
Renaissance art
Renaissance literature
Renaissance philosophy
Stoicism
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Summary:The theory and practice of proffering consolation commanded a prominent place in humanist moral thought and literature. Reviving and furthering the tradition of the ancient consolatio, Renaissance writers formulated solace for such problems as bereavement, the fear of death, illness, despair, and misfortune. In the Trecento and Quattrocento there appeared many consolatory letters and funeral orations as well as numerous consolatory dialogues and treatises. The coherence and importance of this consolatory tradition in Renaissance culture have not been fully recognized. By studying this tradition more closely we can learn much about the psychological functions of rhetoric and philosophy in Renaissance thought. Equally important, we can begin to see more clearly how the history of ideas has sometimes been changed and enriched by its quiet counterpart, the “history of emotions.”
ISSN:0034-4338
1935-0236
DOI:10.2307/2862039