Clothing is an outward statement of our inner selves. That statement is defined by the social, religious and cultural system which dominates during a historical moment. That which before our eyes looks attractive or not is part of aesthetic considerations of the time we are living in. Conversely, looking at a portrait or picture, our brain can easily locate the represented sitter in a specific historical period. We would never dress according to the fashion rules of five hundred years ago, and probably not even of the last year, as it mirrors a culture that is not the one we are living in, and that we refuse to live in again.
This exhibition will go through a few salient features of the male trend during the Fifteenth century, focusing on precise aesthetic rules. Proper laws that as Castiglione quoted would have avoided the contemporary to distinguish themselves thereby, to arouse distrust and ostracise. However, harmony and beauty take on great value during the Renaissance, the human being is at the centre of attention both for his intellect and his appearance. Appearance, mirrored the social status and the seriousness towards moralities and social duties. To fulfil these requirements, garments had to be refined in quality and material.
From the everyday use of all black to the most elaborate garment for social occasions, the Renaissance man would have tried to fit in with society, leaving then a trail of himself through the portrait, and leaving us to witness what the ideal beauty was at the time was for man.