Conference Presentations by Louise Stewart
This paper considers the spaces in which confectionery was stored, prepared and displayed in earl... more This paper considers the spaces in which confectionery was stored, prepared and displayed in early modern England. It takes account of particular architectural spaces such as the closet, the still-room and the banqueting house in order to explore the relationship between these spaces and gendered identity. Both sugarwork and the sugar banquet were considered to be particularly feminine. Were the spaces used for these activities also considered to be gendered? If so, was this gendering reflected in their relative privacy and arrangements for access? How might these spaces have been designed to define and / or regulate gendered identities? If there was such a thing as 'feminine' space, did it facilitate the performance of female agency or the regulation of femininity by a patriarchal culture?
For the honour of our nation': new research on the sugar banquet at the court of Henry VIII In th... more For the honour of our nation': new research on the sugar banquet at the court of Henry VIII In the 1520s, the sugar banquet developed as an important diplomatic tool at the English court. Banquets took place after great feasts, and involved selected guests moving to a separate space. Here, they viewed expensive sugar sculpture, ate confectionary and drank distilled waters. This paper presents new insights into the supply and significance of the sugar banquet at the Henrician court, derived from the detailed analysis of primary sources, some of which have not previously been considered in relation to these events.
English sixteenth-century portraiture has frequently been approached by scholars
In the 1520s, the sugar banquet developed as an important diplomatic tool at the English court. ... more In the 1520s, the sugar banquet developed as an important diplomatic tool at the English court. Banquets took place after great feasts, and involved selected guests, including foreign ambassadors, moving to a separate space. Here, they viewed expensive sugar sculpture, ate confectionary and drank distilled waters. Such banquets became an important site of diplomatic negotiation in early modern England.
Inspired by the origins of sugar in the mysterious east, the visual culture surrounding the sugar banquet was concerned with exoticism. This is evidenced by descriptions of the banquets’ accompanying masques which featured foreign characters such as Turks and Tartars, and surviving banqueting trenchers depicting ‘oriental’ scenes. This paper considers the ways in which this focus on the consumption of the exotic was intended to express knowledge of, and power over, distant lands. Did the emphasis upon otherness add to the perceived value of the sugar banquet, and its hosts? How did the use of this ‘exotic’ banquet, and gifts of sugar in the specific context of diplomatic exchanges aim to articulate England’s place on the European stage, in order to affect their outcome?
The sixteenth century in England has typically been seen as an era of ‘insular artistic stagnatio... more The sixteenth century in England has typically been seen as an era of ‘insular artistic stagnation’. Historians and art historians describe a lack of interest in Renaissance visual culture, the ‘gothic’ and ‘backward’nature of native cultural production and the damaging effect of the reformation on the visual arts. The English Renaissance is often conceived of as a solely literary phenomenon, and English sixteenth century art is found wanting when judged against the standards of the Italian Renaissance. Whilst some scholars have recently sought to overturn these assumptions about Tudor visual culture, one area in particular has, thus far, been overlooked.
In the practice of banqueting, we find a genuine, sophisticated and unique engagement with Classical culture. The sugar banquet, in particular, was intended as an authentic emulation of the ancient symposium. Sugar banquets were exclusive events which occurred after grand feasts, and featured masquing, drinking distilled waters, eating sweet-meats and viewing sugar sculpture. The visual and textual culture surrounding them indicates that their hosts drew on the works of Xenophon, Plutarch and Plato, along with continental art and architecture to create spectacles of Classicism. This paper utilises a variety of sources, including painted trenchers, depictions of banquets in a variety of media, the interior decoration of banqueting houses, advice books and accounts of real banquets in order to explore this highly sophisticated engagement with the ancient past.
Searching for Sugar Sculpture in Early Modern England
Sugar banquets in sixteenth and seventee... more Searching for Sugar Sculpture in Early Modern England
Sugar banquets in sixteenth and seventeenth century England were exclusive events which occurred after grand feasts, and featured masquing, drinking distilled waters, eating sweet - meats and viewing sugar sculpture. ‘Marchpanes’, as sugar sculptures were known, were shaped, either using moulds or by hand, to form ‘outlandish confections’, representing human figures, ‘castles’ and ‘forts’, ‘sundry flowers, herbs, trees, forms of beasts, fish fowls and fruits,’ baked and then gilded or coloured. Sugar work was considered a necessary accomplishment for aristocratic women, and there is evidence that the sugar banquet became a well-known cultural form, indicative of high status and wealth.
Due to their ephemeral nature, sugar sculptures from this period are not extant. Worse still, and in contrast to the continental record, there are no surviving images of English marchpanes. How, then, might the scholar approach these objects? This paper explores methodologies for investigating Early Modern sugar sculpture in its absence, utilising existing related material culture and textual accounts in order to focus on the ways in which sugar sculpture was used to provoke conversation, articulate status and create obligation in the early modern period.
Rather than being seen as an obstacle, sugar sculpture’s ephemerality is considered as its defining quality, emphasising the banquet host’s wealth and largesse. A focus on the ways in which it was used to forge relationships and assert status is advocated, as opposed to attempts to recreate its appearance, which are likely to be misleading.
Publications by Louise Stewart
Papers by Louise Stewart
The Historical Journal
Around 1520, at the court of Henry VIII of England, a new meal type emerged. Called the ‘banquet’... more Around 1520, at the court of Henry VIII of England, a new meal type emerged. Called the ‘banquet’, this took place after the main meal, in a distinct space, and consisted of sweet foods, spiced wine, and sculptural sugarwork. Originally developing at court, the sweet banquet was quickly embraced by the nobility and gentry. This article investigates the adoption of this dining practice in the wealthy country houses of early modern England and the reasons for its popularity in this specific context. It draws on state papers, published works, and household accounts to establish the ways in which the banquet was utilized and understood by early modern elites. This evidence makes it clear that a high-status person would have expected to be entertained with a sweet banquet at any important social occasion involving their peers. An examination of the visual and material cultures associated with the banquet establishes that it was a highly effective means by which to express class status at...
Uploads
Conference Presentations by Louise Stewart
Inspired by the origins of sugar in the mysterious east, the visual culture surrounding the sugar banquet was concerned with exoticism. This is evidenced by descriptions of the banquets’ accompanying masques which featured foreign characters such as Turks and Tartars, and surviving banqueting trenchers depicting ‘oriental’ scenes. This paper considers the ways in which this focus on the consumption of the exotic was intended to express knowledge of, and power over, distant lands. Did the emphasis upon otherness add to the perceived value of the sugar banquet, and its hosts? How did the use of this ‘exotic’ banquet, and gifts of sugar in the specific context of diplomatic exchanges aim to articulate England’s place on the European stage, in order to affect their outcome?
In the practice of banqueting, we find a genuine, sophisticated and unique engagement with Classical culture. The sugar banquet, in particular, was intended as an authentic emulation of the ancient symposium. Sugar banquets were exclusive events which occurred after grand feasts, and featured masquing, drinking distilled waters, eating sweet-meats and viewing sugar sculpture. The visual and textual culture surrounding them indicates that their hosts drew on the works of Xenophon, Plutarch and Plato, along with continental art and architecture to create spectacles of Classicism. This paper utilises a variety of sources, including painted trenchers, depictions of banquets in a variety of media, the interior decoration of banqueting houses, advice books and accounts of real banquets in order to explore this highly sophisticated engagement with the ancient past.
Sugar banquets in sixteenth and seventeenth century England were exclusive events which occurred after grand feasts, and featured masquing, drinking distilled waters, eating sweet - meats and viewing sugar sculpture. ‘Marchpanes’, as sugar sculptures were known, were shaped, either using moulds or by hand, to form ‘outlandish confections’, representing human figures, ‘castles’ and ‘forts’, ‘sundry flowers, herbs, trees, forms of beasts, fish fowls and fruits,’ baked and then gilded or coloured. Sugar work was considered a necessary accomplishment for aristocratic women, and there is evidence that the sugar banquet became a well-known cultural form, indicative of high status and wealth.
Due to their ephemeral nature, sugar sculptures from this period are not extant. Worse still, and in contrast to the continental record, there are no surviving images of English marchpanes. How, then, might the scholar approach these objects? This paper explores methodologies for investigating Early Modern sugar sculpture in its absence, utilising existing related material culture and textual accounts in order to focus on the ways in which sugar sculpture was used to provoke conversation, articulate status and create obligation in the early modern period.
Rather than being seen as an obstacle, sugar sculpture’s ephemerality is considered as its defining quality, emphasising the banquet host’s wealth and largesse. A focus on the ways in which it was used to forge relationships and assert status is advocated, as opposed to attempts to recreate its appearance, which are likely to be misleading.
Publications by Louise Stewart
Papers by Louise Stewart
Inspired by the origins of sugar in the mysterious east, the visual culture surrounding the sugar banquet was concerned with exoticism. This is evidenced by descriptions of the banquets’ accompanying masques which featured foreign characters such as Turks and Tartars, and surviving banqueting trenchers depicting ‘oriental’ scenes. This paper considers the ways in which this focus on the consumption of the exotic was intended to express knowledge of, and power over, distant lands. Did the emphasis upon otherness add to the perceived value of the sugar banquet, and its hosts? How did the use of this ‘exotic’ banquet, and gifts of sugar in the specific context of diplomatic exchanges aim to articulate England’s place on the European stage, in order to affect their outcome?
In the practice of banqueting, we find a genuine, sophisticated and unique engagement with Classical culture. The sugar banquet, in particular, was intended as an authentic emulation of the ancient symposium. Sugar banquets were exclusive events which occurred after grand feasts, and featured masquing, drinking distilled waters, eating sweet-meats and viewing sugar sculpture. The visual and textual culture surrounding them indicates that their hosts drew on the works of Xenophon, Plutarch and Plato, along with continental art and architecture to create spectacles of Classicism. This paper utilises a variety of sources, including painted trenchers, depictions of banquets in a variety of media, the interior decoration of banqueting houses, advice books and accounts of real banquets in order to explore this highly sophisticated engagement with the ancient past.
Sugar banquets in sixteenth and seventeenth century England were exclusive events which occurred after grand feasts, and featured masquing, drinking distilled waters, eating sweet - meats and viewing sugar sculpture. ‘Marchpanes’, as sugar sculptures were known, were shaped, either using moulds or by hand, to form ‘outlandish confections’, representing human figures, ‘castles’ and ‘forts’, ‘sundry flowers, herbs, trees, forms of beasts, fish fowls and fruits,’ baked and then gilded or coloured. Sugar work was considered a necessary accomplishment for aristocratic women, and there is evidence that the sugar banquet became a well-known cultural form, indicative of high status and wealth.
Due to their ephemeral nature, sugar sculptures from this period are not extant. Worse still, and in contrast to the continental record, there are no surviving images of English marchpanes. How, then, might the scholar approach these objects? This paper explores methodologies for investigating Early Modern sugar sculpture in its absence, utilising existing related material culture and textual accounts in order to focus on the ways in which sugar sculpture was used to provoke conversation, articulate status and create obligation in the early modern period.
Rather than being seen as an obstacle, sugar sculpture’s ephemerality is considered as its defining quality, emphasising the banquet host’s wealth and largesse. A focus on the ways in which it was used to forge relationships and assert status is advocated, as opposed to attempts to recreate its appearance, which are likely to be misleading.