080040 SE Seminar: Epitaphs for artists in early modern times (2008W)

With the increasing appreciation of the individual in the renaissance period and the enhancement of the prestige of artistic production to the level of "artes liberales", the representation of the artist and the conservation of his "memoria" through the artist himself as well as through his posterity gains a new importance in the visual arts.
The target of the course is to analyze epitaphial representation of artists from the 15^th to the early 19^th century. Particular importance will be attached to the following questions: who is honored by an epitaph? Which was the artist's social position? Where and under which circumstances did the epitaph come to be, particularly in regard to the work order and the creational process? Furthermore, we will discuss type, iconography, style and history of perception by the public.