Der mediale Status des Körpers – Körper im Bild und Körperbild. König Kāleb und andere äthiopische Heilige in Portugal und Brasilien im 18. Jahrhundert
The sixth-century King Kāleb is one of a few African historical characters that have left a visible trace in European art and literature. Venerated by the Catholic Church as Saint Elesbaan, he is frequently present in pre-modern and modern literature and iconography.
The perception of King Kaleb as reflected in art is indicative of the perception of the African (and the Black) in Europe, in particular in the Renaissance and post-Renaissance era.
The subproject of the research group "Geistliche Intermedialität in der Frühen Neuzeit" shall be dedicated to the history, myth, and fortune of Kāleb, king of Aksum and Saint, from the sixth to the eighteenth century, and trace the literary sources and the imagery connected with the King (and his associates) across time. Literature not only from Ethiopia but also (and primarily) from Europe (especially Portugal, France, Italy) as well as pictorial and sculptural representations shall be carefully evaluated in order to produce a comprehensive picture of the development of the veneration and of the transformation of the character throughout centuries.
