New Books In Art

Jana Byars meets one of her academic heroes when Ulinka Rublack joins her to talk about Dürer's Coats: Renaissance Men and Material Cultures of Social Recognition (Routledge, 2025). During the Renaissance, clothing became more and more elaborately decorated and expensive. It often emphasised the privilege of the male elite. Yet clothing could also subvert or reshape conventional cultural norms. This book draws on the case of Albrecht Dürer to examine Renaissance male outerwear as a key element of signalling communication in everyday life. The recognised artist fought for the esteem of urban creators. In asserting his dignity and taste, outerwear was particularly important to Dürer and his time. Ulinka Rublack argues that cloaks and gowns gained in importance during this period and were among the things that mediated social relationships for centuries to come. An investigation into outerwear opens a new window into how people and things were connected in the Renaissance and how important clothing was in shapin