La femme vicieuse et l’homme vertueux. Le débat sur le luxe et la consommation au xviiie siècle en Italie

Abstract

The aim of this article is to explore the representations of women and men as reflected in the 18th century debate on luxury in Italy in order to understand the political reasons that gave rise to them. The article suggests that a political ideology of consumption was used during the Italian revolutionary age both to separate the masculine sphere of politics from the feminine sphere of luxury and to define a citizenship tied to masculinity. During the revolutionary Triennio, a focus on the moderate consumption of men, in contrast with the excess consumption associated with women, contributed to the construction of the social identity of the citizen.