The Book of the Courtier

The Book of the Courtier

Castiglione’s Book of the Courtier is an important account of the experiences of Renaissance court life. It describes the ideal qualities of a male courtier and the perfect lady. The book represents the Renaissance and Early Modern focus on personal propriety and morality. Throughout the Early Modern period, Europeans were increasingly offended by and divided over issues of morality, exacerbated by the Protestant Reformation and re-assertion of religious morality. The Book of the Courtier exemplifies the Early Modern desire for distinct social norms and rules of propriety as well as the importance of the behavior of courtiers in courtly life.

Baldasarre Castiglione

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Baldassare_Castiglione,_by_Raffaello_Sanzio,_from_C2RMF_retouched.jpg

1508-1516