Publication Date
Spring 2021
Abstract
The subject of royal favorites has been of historical interest for quite some time, but these studies or fictionalized interpretations usually involve the female favorites of kings (or, rarer still, the male favorites of queens).1 This latter category provides an interesting angle from which to approach the biographic studies of male figures in the favorite’s role. The study of male royal favorites can therefore oppose the historical neglect of same-sex relationships in royal courts through the colliding lenses of court history and queer history. This interdisciplinary combination illuminates subjects that are seriously understudied in both fields when evaluated independently. Although female favorites often wielded immense political power, there is better historical documentation for the power of men in politics, the military, and the economy. Visual art provides extensive historical documentation of the importance of male figures, specifically in portraits (both life-size and miniature) and in engraved prints.
Document Type
Article
Keywords
James I; Favorites, Royal; Favorites, Royal, in art
Disciplines
European History | History
Format
Language
eng
Recommended Citation
Katsulos, Maria, "Unto One Man’s Hand: The Power of Portraiture of the Favorites of James I" (2021). The Larrie and Bobbi Weil Undergraduate Research Award. 12.
https://scholar.smu.edu/weil_ura/12
