Representations of the parental-filial relationship in 16th century Italian painted portraits

Historical studies of the early modem family unit have become increasingly prominent since the publication of Philippe Aries L 'Enfant et la vie familiale sous l'Ancien Regime in 1960 (English translation, 1962). Aries cited iconographical elements within family portraits as "evidence" of an apathetic parental-filial relationship in the early modem era. While subsequent studies have revised Aries' hypothesis related to the familial relationship, no revised examination of early modem family portraits has been undertaken. Such a study would relate to a larger semiotic concern: can painted images be used as proof of a historical truth? This paper considers a sample of Italian family portraits from the 16th -century within the context of family history scholarship. Sources related to Florence, Venice, and the Vento are considered in conjunction with formal analyses of the images. Iconographical trends are drawn out and analyzed from within the paintings and conclusions are made related to variables of class, gender, and geography. Within the sample, there were images that seemed to support Aries' thesis and also works that denied his rigid assessments related to gendered family relationships. This inconsistency noted across the sample and the resulting study seeks to complicate Aries' original use of painted images as evidence within his argument.