Rhetorical iconography: Representing rhetoric in the history of the visual arts

This study reveals, through an extensive archival investigation of rhetorical iconography, the wealth of images available for original examination. The major goal of this work is to map the iconography as a beginning of the investigation into the visual representations of rhetoric.; Chapter 1, the "Introduction," sets up the research indicating the types of images that will be covered and the reason those particular images were chosen.; Chapter 2, "Origins of Rhetorica," begins by investigating the earliest castings of the personification of rhetoric in human form. The chapter concludes by surmising that the earliest attributable origins must be from the oral tradition that gave rise to the Nine Muses and the printed, textual description of Rhetorica from Martianus Capella.; In Chapter 3, "Rhetoric as Woman," representations of rhetoric in the figure of Rhetorica as an allegorical woman who "stands" for rhetoric's power to teach even as it deceives are examined with both purposes having roots in preconceived notions of women's roles.; Chapter 4, "Weaponry of Rhetoric," has two main goals. At first, rhetoric is discussed as a powerful tool that may be wielded as a weapon. For contrast, a brief discussion of less aggressive images takes place. Finally, the chapter addresses the actual, visual presence of weaponry in personifications of Rhetorica.; Chapter 5, "Rhetorica and the Caduceus," is dedicated to the caduceus and its historical relevance to the art of rhetoric. Studying the caduceus and its history provides insight to the sense with which civilizations in different eras valued this deified, so-called wand of rhetoric.; Chapter 6 reaffirms the importance of this iconographic research of rhetoric and the usefulness of a visual approach to rhetoric's history. Applying the visual, iconic approach to studying rhetoric also expands the importance of women to rhetoric's history.; Finally, the appendix contains a list of geographical locations where I know further icons of rhetoric exist. This list is in addition to the images contained in this dissertation and represents images that need to be photographed for cataloguing.