Masterclass honouring Harald Hendrix – Pietro Aretino and the arts: print, painting and sculpture shaping his persona

Flamboyant and controversial, feared and revered for his astute judgment and razor-sharp wit, the author, critic, satirist, counsellor, and blackmailer Pietro Aretino was a towering figure in Renaissance culture. This masterclass explores the role of the visual arts in the making of his public image. Proceeding from the large exhibition “Pietro Aretino and the Arts in the Renaissance” (Uffizi, 2019-20), it traces Aretino’s eventful life and career, his complex, at times even explosive, relationships to his patrons, and his collaborations with authors, artists, and printers. Guided by Professor Parlato the participants will devote particular attention to the use of portraits in the construction of Aretino’s public persona. The masterclass will take place in the special collections department of Utrecht University Library, where a small selection of items related to Aretino will be on display.

This masterclass is organized on the occasion of the retirement of Harald Hendrix, Professor of Italian…