Renaissance Beauty Workshop in Florence Explores Historical Practices and Dangerous Cosmetics
From June 26-28, 2026, a workshop in Florence will delve into the beauty practices of the Renaissance through interactive activities and guided tours. Led by art historian Jill Burke and licensed guide Paola Vojnovic, participants will explore the Biblioteca nazionale, tour the Uffizi gallery, visit a Renaissance garden, and cook with Emiko Davies. They will also learn to create historical beauty products, such as a lip balm made from rose oil and beeswax. Renaissance beauty ideals were disseminated through poetry, medical writings, and art. Pamphlets like the Venustà of 1526 popularized beauty standards, while dangerous cosmetics like Aqua Tofana were used, and trends were influenced by figures such as Isabella d'Este. Giovanni Marinello’s 1562 book contained over 1,400 beauty recipes.
Key facts
- Jill Burke and Paola Vojnovic host a Renaissance beauty workshop in Florence from June 26-28, 2026
- The workshop includes visits to Biblioteca nazionale, Uffizi gallery, and a Renaissance garden
- Participants will cook with author Emiko Davies and make historical beauty products
- Renaissance beauty ideals were spread through printed pamphlets from the 1520s onward
- Women used methods like sun-bleaching hair and skin-whitening creams with animal fats
- Aqua Tofana, a cosmetic containing arsenic and lead, was used in a 1659 poisoning network in Rome
- Giovanni Marinello's 1562 book 'The Ornaments of Ladies' contained over 1,400 beauty recipes
- Isabella d'Este served as a Renaissance fashion influencer in Mantua
Entities
Artists
- Jill Burke
- Paola Vojnovic
- Titian
- Petrarch
- Isabella d'Este
- Giovanni Marinello
- Giovanna de Grandis
- Emiko Davies
- Anna Canning
- Alexandra
Institutions
- Biblioteca nazionale
- Uffizi
- Palazzo Pitti
- Louvre
- Mantuan ambassador
Locations
- Florence
- Italy
- Venice
- Rome
- Mantua
- Modena
- Campo de' Fiori
Sources
- ArtTrav —