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The Devil in the Details: Edits and the Visual Demonization of Tancred in the Liber ad Honorem Augusti

Sullivan-Silva, Meghan Valely
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Abstract
In what could be termed a case of damnatio memoriae or perhaps an example of shifting iconographic standards, some of the miniatures in the richly illustrated Sicilian manuscript known as the Liber ad Honorem Augusti (1197 ca.) were subjected to brutal revisions which rendered them permanently scarred and fundamentally altered. The Liber marks the end of Norman kingship over Sicily and tells the story of Holy Roman Emperor and German King Henry VI’s ascent to the throne, ascribing to him a mythological origin and peppering the text with elements of predestination and divine greatness. While certainly a skewed account, the manuscript itself presents a number of mysteries concerning its own genesis. Of particular interest are its fantastic miniatures, which reveal a shift in stylistic and political motivations during the process of the manuscript’s creation; this is especially true of the treatment of Henry’s rival for the throne, Tancred, who was portrayed inconsistently throughout the manuscript and whose visage was subjected to alterations. The edits themselves suggest an interest in revising the artistic narrative to deliver a different message, one which emphasizes the nefarious nature of the king’s adversary. This study examines the miniatures with particular attention paid to Tancred’s representation and identifies new patterns to provide fresh insight into the production of this work.
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Master of Arts in Art History -- John Cabot University, Spring 2021.
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2021
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Liber ad honorem Augusti
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Sullivan-Silva, Meghan Valely. "The Devil in the Details: Edits and the Visual Demonization of Tancred in the Liber ad Honorem Augusti". Master's Thesis, John Cabot University, Rome, Italy. 2021.
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