The theater of widowhood: the widow and public patronage of the visual arts in 16th century Bologna

This essay is concerned with widow's patronage in the city of Bologna, perh aps one of the most interesting of Italian cities for the study of widows, since they left a strong visual legacy, demonstrating the conspicuous role widows played in the social and cultural life of the city. Perhaps the most interesting and remarkable aspect of widows' patronage relates to the alta rpieces which commemorated and recorded the widow's own personal life in na rrative strategies, informing the viewer about their societal status, their family life, patron saints to whom they were dedicated, or the religious a nd social causes they espoused. Such altarpieces became a theatre where the ir widowhood could be viewed and reflected upon by the spectator. Raphael p ainted the Ecstacy of Saint Cecilia as the altarpiece for Elena Duglioli Da ll'Olio's chapel in the Church of San Giovanni in Monte. Significantly, thi s painting can be seen to have influenced several altarpieces commissioned by other Bolognese widows, like Ludovico Carracci's Madonna dei Bargellini painted for Cecilia Bargellini Boncompagni. Their image and their images permit an unparalleled opportunity to uncover the multi-faceted identity of widowhood which serve to transcend the passiv ity of grief and the simple recognition of loss.