Fashion, time and the consumption of a Renaissance man in Germany: the costume book of Matthaus Schwarz of Augsburg, 1496-1564.
This article uses the perspective of cultural anthropology to consider the construction of an early modern perception of time and its relation to the dress and personal consumption of a male subject. It focuses on a costume book from the Renaissance compiled by Matthäus Schwarz, a member of the bourgeoisie, who lived in Augsburg from 1496 to 1574. The book contains a collection of 137 drawings, portraying Schwarz's personal choice of dress. It is also an account of Schwarz's life, beginning with his parents, then covering his life-stages from birth to old age. The relationships between body and dress and between the male subject and the world run as a major thread through the book. This article shows how closely connected Schwarz's body is with the life of commodities (dress) and consumption. The life-story of this Renaissance man is expressed in terms of changing fashions, which act as his subjective measure of time.
Mentges
Gabriele
G
University of Dortmund.
D001878:Books, Illustrated / Q000266:history; D003020:Clothing / Q000266:history; D005783:Gender Identity; D005858:Germany; D049669:History, 16th Century; D008571:Men