- Type:
- Book Chapter
- Author:
- Roland Betancourt
- Published:
- 2025
- Publisher:
- Routledge
Looking at the image of Manuel I Komnenos in a mid-twelfth-century manuscript, now at the Vatican Library (Vat. gr. 1176), one might be struck by the difference articulated between the complexion of the Byzantine emperor and that of his wife Maria of Antioch, the daughter of Constance of Antioch and Raymond of Poitiers (Figure 27.1).2 Had Manuel been depicted alone, his appearance would hardly incite interest, yet set beside his rosy-cheeked bride, this painting encourages us to think further about what is being communicated through the colour of skin, urging us to think critically about gender, sexuality, and the processes of racialization at work in the Byzantine world of the twelfth century. Using the figure of Manuel as a case study, I wish to consider how an intersectional approach allows us to better comprehend the dynamics of racialization in the premodern world, using our contemporary categories and vocabularies around racial justice as a lens for parsing out the nuances of the past and its archives.
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Sıkça sorulan sorular
- What is "The Case of Manuel I Komnenos" about?
- Looking at the image of Manuel I Komnenos in a mid-twelfth-century manuscript, now at the Vatican Library (Vat.
- Who wrote "The Case of Manuel I Komnenos"?
- Roland Betancourt