It is quite close to my heart because ,of couse, while the renaissance is known for its beauty and wonder, it was also a time of huge violence and brutality.  That I certainly believe. And given the levels of pain and limits of medicine or even medical hygiene, and the religious emphasis on body versus soul, I thing the human body itself was a more potent , fragile yet powerful object then.  But I throw it open to others to comment. I”m not sure about the ptotocol of an author replying to someone’s review> It might seem a bit self reverential. And thank you for all your comments it feels like we are staring a dicussion now. Yeah!