Disturbing bodies

Upside-down bodies, contorted limbs, grimacing faces, exposed organs and orifices: between the late Middle Ages and early modernity, these are all images that could – and still can – disturb and arouse unease. Contrasting with the cultural construction of the “idealized” body, these expressions go beyond the patterns that condition the possibility of a peaceful view of the body. Representations of fragmented, dislocated or porous bodies baffle the gaze, provoking aversion, anguish, emotion or desire. […] Finally, we need to consider the disorder as a shifting, indeterminate affect, which disturbs the mind, body and senses of those who come face to face with the image.

Contributions from: Giovanni Careri, Frédéric Cousinié, Ralph Dekoninck, Pierre-Olivier Dittmar, Luca Esposito, Giorgio Fichera, Martial Guedron, Harald Hendrix, Sara Lent Frier, Marika Takanishi Knowles, Sarah F. Matthews-Grieco, Nicolas Misery, Todd P. Olson, Concetta Pennuto, Maud Pérez-Simon, Patricia Rubin, Angèle Tence, Baptiste Tochon-Danguy.

This work was produced with the support of the Centre André-Chastel (CNRS / Ministère de la Culture / Sorbonne Université).