Objective
This project seeks to pioneer a groundbreaking, fresh, and inclusive perspective on European cultural heritage history from the perspective of the jester. By exploring the lives of jesters—who they were, why they have been marginalized in traditional cultural histories, and the profound influence they wielded in the arts—this study will uncover their overlooked role and reshape our understanding of entertainment and artistic expression in European history.
The project is structured around three primary objectives:
i) To understand what it meant to be a jester in Early Modern Europe, focusing on their professional and cultural profiles, socio-economic conditions, abilities or disabilities, and their specialized skills. It explores who their patrons were, where they performed, and how they were recognized. The research examines the various paths jesters took to court life and their living conditions.
ii) To investigate the long-standing exclusion of jesters from cultural heritage, hypothesizing that rivalry between jesters and artists played a role. As artists became organized in academies, they gained status, sought patronage, and pushed jesters to the margins of courtly life, caricaturing them into grotesque figures. The research explores how the institutionalization of art impacted jesters’ roles, their diminishing presence at court, and their evolution into caricaturesque characters in theater, literature, and the visual arts.
iii) To reevaluate jesters’ productions as a forgotten artistic canon. Jesters, often educated and integrated into courtly life, contributed to various forms of entertainment, including writing, performance, music, and dance. The project questions how they influenced artists and contributed to a broader canon that enhances our understanding of early modern desire for wonder.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2025-STG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
95011 Cergy-Pontoise
France
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.