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Paper short abstract:

The present work will examine some German iconographic sources of the 16th century, which contain New World primate portraits. Their cultural and symbolic value and their contribution to the knowledge of Renaissance natural sciences will be discussed.

Paper long abstract:

As a fundamental aspect of the imaging of Renaissance courts, exotic animals from the New Indies became in the 16th century object of intense trade and luxurious goods for European courts. As revealed by many iconographic sources, owning and collecting exotic pets was part of the tradition of the Habsburg court and of other German wealthy citizens. Although this fact is well known, the study of the animal species imported, their cultural and symbolic value and the contribution they gave to natural science of the 16th century, have not been sufficiently studied. For instance recent data show that New World primates seem to have been very common in Renaissance courts. They were high value specimens and immediately became frequent subject for artworks. Many of these monkeys' portraits reveal to be the first scientific representations of many species. Important artists, such as Albrecht Dürer, Hans Burgkmair, Cranach the Elder among others, took part to the realization of important works were New World primates are portrayed and have a specific meaning. See for instance The Triumphal Arch, the Large Triumphal Carriage and the Book of Hours of the Emperor Maximilian the first. The aims of the present work is to show and discuss some iconographic sources that, though very famous, were not examined by this point of view and to show the imaging of these creatures in these various media, their impact on Renaissance culture and, their contribution to the European history of zoology.