Wealth and the Medieval Individual

While the birth of the individual began in the late thirteenth century, so did the swap of primarily Christian icons to iconography of wealthy patrons and nobility. As religion still played a incredibly important role in medieval society, the rise of the individual began with the rise of the representation of wealthy nobility. As the role of singular man became more and more realized, the relationship of the individual and their connection to society, the universe, and even their own icons are also explored. As the medieval individual experimented with ways to break out of the homogenized and dehumanizing feudal lifestyle, they struggled with ways to set themselves apart – not only from each other but from a heavily religion-based society. The exploration of the individual not only led to quasi-personalized “portraiture” but new tools that allowed the 'modern' medieval man to place himself in the universe, connecting the human body to the stars in a new form of medical treatment that allowed at-home remedies – yet as to be expected, the first to own these new innovations were wealthy nobles. For this paper I hope to explore the medieval “individual” primarily portrayed as white male nobility or a royal couple in which the commissioner (in this case, King Charles IV and Richard Fitzalan) had the majority of say in how they were depicted. Although the thought of the individual was on the rise, the objectification of peasants during the feudal era only continued as this exploration progressed as they were unable to afford Psalter commissions or their own sculpted tombs - the wealthy continued to create memorial markers of themselves and their history with their ability to have these works made.

The three works of art I will be ...

... middle of paper ...

...bility, it is clear that the acceptance in the representation of those who were not religious icons, but everyday icons. Medieval celebrities. As politics grew, these wealthy patrons were able to commission art of themselves, adding their own personal touches to it. This allowed them to manipulate how people would remember them, be it by wealth, kindness, charity, relationships or profession, it was key that class and wealth played a very important role in being represented as an individual. While tools such as the folding almanac and Zodiac man helped educate and place the individual in a great big world, small prayer books allowed nobility to place themselves among saints, reiterating their own importance and tombs played a role in how dignified couples would be remembered, the most important factor in being remembered as a medieval individual is social hierarchy.