Dressing the Glitterati: Gender, Power and Fashion in Renaissance Art
Weiner lecture explores the 'power suits' of aristocratic men
by MaryAlice Bitts-Jackson
Two men will be appearing in court. One puts on a classic, conservative gray suit for the occasion, accessorized only by newly shined wingtips. The other is decked out in brocaded velvet, silk, sequins and jewels. Which one is dressed for success? It depends on where and when they live. In Renaissance Italy, a man at court would don luxurious textiles, jewelry, brocade and gold, notes Timothy McCall, an expert in this intriguing subject.
For the glitterati, it wasn’t only about looking good: It was about signaling power, success and political savvy.
McCall will discuss this and more during the lecture Thinking Through Fashion in Italian Renaissance Art. Held Feb. 12 in Rubendall Recital Hall from 5:30-7 p.m., the event is free and open to the public.
"Portrait of a Young Man," Cosmè Tura, Tempera on Wood, c.1470s. Image courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Public Doman OA, Bequest of Benjamin Altman, 1913.
McCall comes to Dickinson to deliver the college’s 2026 Jane L. and Robert H. Weiner Lecture in the Arts. He has authored and co-edited books on art and constructions of gender and sexuality, material culture, the histories of fashion and aristocratic ideals of male beauty. He has also published related articles in Renaissance Quarterly, Renaissance Studies, and I Tatti Studies, and he is the Bernard Lucci Endowed Chair in Italian Studies at Villanova University.
“Portrait of a Young Man,” Cosmè Tura, Tempera on Wood, c.1470s. Image courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Public Doman OA, Bequest of Benjamin Altman, 1913.
Relating directly to Weiner Lecture, McCall’s 2022 book, Brilliant Bodies: Men at Court in Early Renaissance Italy, reveals that the Italian Renaissance elite used fashion not only to define and evoke cultural ideas about masculinity—but also, at times, to disrupt those ideas. In other words: Bling was definitely king. But the glitterati's showy adornment sometimes blurred gendered fashion lines.
The Weiner Lecture brings esteemed visual-arts professionals to visit campus this year through an endowed initiative enriching the study of art & art history. Past Weiner lecturers include acclaimed artists, art critics, art historians and the president and CEO of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Like his predecessors, McCall is a noted expert in his field. He earned a Ph.D. (2005) and M.A. (2001) in art history at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and garnered a B.A. in English at Georgetown University (1999). McCall’s grants, honors and awards include the J. Clawson Mills Fellowship (The Metropolitan Museum of Art); the I Tatti Fellowship, Robert Lehman Fellow, Villa I Tatti (Harvard University Center for Italian Renaissance Studies); Gilbert Fellowship in Humanities, Sydney Social Sciences and Humanities Advanced Research Centre; (University of Sydney) and research grants through the American Philosophical Society and Renaissance Society of America, among others. He was a visiting professor at Shanghai University (2014) and Sichuan University (2016).
While on campus, McCall will interact directly with students in the art & art history program. He will speak informally with a group of upper-level art history students and will also visit a class devoted to the study of women in European art.
Learn more about this spring’s public arts events at Dickinson.
Learn about spring 2026 exhibitions at Dickinson.
Image credit: “Portrait of a Young Man,” Cosmè Tura, Tempera on Wood, c.1470s. Image courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Public Doman OA, Bequest of Benjamin Altman, 1913.
TAKE THE NEXT STEPS
Published February 10, 2026