‘To dust the pelisse’: the erotic side of fur in Italian Renaissance art

Abstract

AbstractOwnership of wild animal furs in Renaissance Italy was a sign of prosperity and social status. In addition to the explicit aspect of wealth, owning wild animal furs also meant that the wearer came from good lineage and could dress as befitting a noble station thanks to the exemption from the restrictions imposed by sumptuary laws. Contrary to modern expectations of conspicuous display these valuable skins were used as linings for clothing with the fur in contact with the body. Wearing fur on the outside of the garment raised a series of moral issues concerned with the animal origin of fur and the wearer's relationship to the animal world. Renaissance eroticism was mainly associated with the baser, sensual faculties and sexual appetites, that is, animal behaviour. Because it was linked to the emotions, it had the power to disturb the mind and the soul, and to disrupt order by posing a threat to a rational, civilized community. For that reason, the suspicions surrounding animal skins have to be taken into account when considering the rage for using valuable pelts in Europe. This paper will delve into the complex meanings attributed to fur: its status as a luxury good as well as the visual and symbolic associations to eroticism that inhibited its open display.