英文摘要 |
In the early modern England, the private sphere was gradually being separated from .the public sphere, but the demarcation line between them was not yet clear-cut. At that time, some people saw no distinction between these two spheres, believing that the public costume one wore could reveal his private self. But it did not hold water for those who emphasized the distinction. For them, the costume was simply an empty signifier conveying nothing but the concealment of inner self. However, in such a period of transition, there were some people who held the opposite views at the same time. Nicholas Hilliard is a case in point. My article concerns itself with analyzing the portrait miniature of John Donne he painted in1591. In this portrait miniature, Hilliard makes sumptuous costume a transparent medium to signify the religious allegiance of the 18-years-old Donne. At the same time, he also takes a devious route in this portrait to reveal the sitter's inner self. Besides being a transparent vehicle, the costume is also treated as the translucent veil through whose concealment the young Donne's subtle attitude toward his faith is revealed. |