Domestic Objects and the Representation of Private Space in Aretino’s Letters

Tools for self-representation and propaganda, the collected letters of Pietro Aretino, published in Venice from 1538 onward, allow us to understand the author’s relationship with the domestic space and its objects. The letters expressing thanks for gifts received are an especially important source of information, as they support the image of Venice as a city at the forefront of modernity, characterized by a flourishing arts scene and the pursuit of comfort, verging on luxury, in the design of living spaces.