Coração de Leão – O Rei, o Herói, o Ícone: um estudo acerca da construção visual desta personagem na Inglaterra oitocentista

Abstract

This Thesis is about the reception of Richard I in the nineteenth century england. Specifically, about the presence of this character in this period’s visual culture, aiming to contemplate a variety media and connotations attributed to the monarch in the context in question. Our main argument can be summarized in two fundamental statements: 1) that Richard I can be understood as an english cultural icon of the XIX’s (particularly during the Victorian Era); and 2) british cultural producers developed a particular fixation on this historical figure, a phenomenon which we call lionheartmania. Theoretically supported by the Studies in Medievalism, the Visual Studies and methodologically by the critical iconology, the research seeks to understand the meaning of this cultural obsession with Lionheart, as well as the strategies used by 19th century artists to “rehabilitate” the medieval king as a modern hero.