
By Dr. Catherine Lawless - Articles published in Three Monkeys Online
Women on the margins: the 'beloved' and the 'mistress' in Renaissance Florence
Dr. Catherine Lawless explores the position of a particular category of women who did not fit at all easily into either religious or social stereotypes, women who were the objects of amorous devotion on the part of prominent and influential citizens and o...
The Image of Christmas - The Nativity Represented in Art
The richly detailed Christmas nativity story contains far more than is included in the 'authoratitive' versions of the two Gospels that mention Christ's birth. Over centuries, artists have been inspired to depict and embellish this iconic story. Dr. Cathe...
Myth, Ritual and Orthodoxy: Cosimo de’ Medici and Saint Peter Martyr.
The Medici, powerful patrons of the arts in renaissance Florence, chose to be associated in portraits with the figure of Saint Peter Martyr, not to be confused with St. Peter the Apostle. The reasons for this choice are far from obvious, but this article ...


