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Hegemony and Protectionism in Bologna’s Meat Trade:The Role of Visual Imagery in Reputation Management

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 April 2020

PAUL FREATHY Open the ORCID record for PAUL FREATHY [Opens in a new window]  and
IRIS THOMAS
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Abstract

During the Renaissance, visual images were legitimate and authoritative sources of information that influenced behavior and directed public opinion. Against a background of political and religious unrest and growing pressure for economic reform, it is maintained that Annibale Carracci’s painting of The Butchers Shop (ca. 1580–1583) sought to legitimize the professionalism of Bologna’s butchery trades, reinforce the reputation of the guild system, and remind audiences of the dangers of papal interference in commercial endeavor. By implicitly advocating the value of institutional hegemony and trade protectionism, The Butchers Shop represents a form of late sixteenth-century visual propaganda and image management.

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Enterprise & Society , Volume 22 , Issue 2 , June 2021 , pp. 566 - 592
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© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Business History Conference. All rights reserved.

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