A vivid account of the exoticism of the Dutch Republic
at a critical moment in its cultural and political history
The seventeenth century witnessed a great flourishing of Dutch
trade and culture. ...Over the course of the first half of the
century, the northern Netherlands secured independence from the
Spanish crown, and the nascent republic sought to establish its
might in global trade, often by way of diplomatic relations with
the Ottoman Empire and other Muslim powers. Central to the
political and cultural identity of the Dutch Republic were curious
foreign goods the Dutch called "rarities." Rarities of These
Lands explores how these rarities were obtained, exchanged,
stolen, valued, and collected, tracing their global trajectories
and considering their role within the politics of the new state.
Claudia Swan's insightful, engaging analysis offers a novel and
compelling account of how the Dutch Republic turned foreign objects
into expressions of its national self-conception. Rarities of
These Lands illuminates the formative years of the Dutch
Republic, offering a timely examination of the art, politics, and
exoticism of this momentous period in the history of the
Netherlands.
A vivid account of Dutch seventeenth-century art and material culture against the backdrop of the geopolitics of the early modern world The seventeenth century witnessed a great flourishing of Dutch ...trade and culture. Over the course of the first half of the century, the northern Netherlands secured independence from the Spanish crown, and the nascent republic sought to establish its might in global trade, often by way of diplomatic relations with the Ottoman Empire and other Muslim powers. Central to the political and cultural identity of the Dutch Republic were curious foreign goods the Dutch called "rarities." Rarities of These Lands explores how these rarities were obtained, exchanged, stolen, valued, and collected, tracing their global trajectories and considering their role within the politics of the new state. Claudia Swan's insightful, engaging analysis offers a novel and compelling account of how the Dutch Republic turned foreign objects into expressions of its national self-conception. Rarities of These Lands traces key elements of the formation of the Dutch Republic—artistic and colonialist ventures alike—offering new perspectives on this momentous period in the history of the Netherlands and its material culture.
Conchophilia Marisa Anne Bass, Anne Goldgar, Hanneke Grootenboer, Claudia Swan
2021, 2021-08-17
eBook
A captivating historical look at the cultural and artistic significance of shells in early modern Europe Among nature's most artful creations, shells have long inspired the curiosity and passion of ...artisans, artists, collectors, and thinkers. Conchophilia delves into the intimate relationship between shells and people, offering an unprecedented account of the early modern era, when the influx of exotic shells to Europe fueled their study and representation as never before. From elaborate nautilus cups and shell- encrusted grottoes to delicate miniatures, this richly illustrated book reveals how the love of shells intersected not only with the rise of natural history and global trade but also with philosophical inquiry, issues of race and gender, and the ascent of art-historical connoisseurship.Shells circulated at the nexus of commerce and intellectual pursuit, suggesting new ways of thinking about relationships between Europe and the rest of the world. The authors focus on northern Europe, where the interest and trade in shells had its greatest impact on the visual arts. They consider how shells were perceived as exotic objects, the role of shells in courtly collections, their place in still-life tableaus, and the connections between their forms and those of the human body. They examine how artists gilded, carved, etched, and inked shells to evoke the permeable boundary between art and nature. These interactions with shells shaped the ways that early modern individuals perceived their relation to the natural world, and their endeavors in art and the acquisition of knowledge.Spanning painting and print to architecture and the decorative arts, Conchophilia uncovers the fascinating ways that shells were circulated, depicted, collected, and valued during a time of remarkable global change.
Conchophilia Marisa Anne Bass; Anne Goldgar; Hanneke Grootenboer ...
08/2021
eBook
A captivating historical look at the cultural and
artistic significance of shells in early modern Europe
Among nature's most artful creations, shells have long inspired the
curiosity and passion of ...artisans, artists, collectors, and
thinkers. Conchophilia delves into the intimate
relationship between shells and people, offering an unprecedented
account of the early modern era, when the influx of exotic shells
to Europe fueled their study and representation as never before.
From elaborate nautilus cups and shell-encrusted grottoes to
delicate miniatures, this richly illustrated book reveals how the
love of shells intersected not only with the rise of natural
history and global trade but also with philosophical inquiry,
issues of race and gender, and the ascent of art-historical
connoisseurship. Shells circulated at the nexus of commerce and
intellectual pursuit, suggesting new ways of thinking about
relationships between Europe and the rest of the world. The authors
focus on northern Europe, where the interest and trade in shells
had its greatest impact on the visual arts. They consider how
shells were perceived as exotic objects, the role of shells in
courtly collections, their place in still-life tableaus, and the
connections between their forms and those of the human body. They
examine how artists gilded, carved, etched, and inked shells to
evoke the permeable boundary between art and nature. These
interactions with shells shaped the ways that early modern
individuals perceived their relation to the natural world, and
their endeavors in art and the acquisition of knowledge. Spanning
painting and print to architecture and the decorative arts,
Conchophilia uncovers the fascinating ways that shells
were circulated, depicted, collected, and valued during a time of
remarkable global change.
Exploring the interpretive potential of a study of exotica as objects on the move, this essay analyses a paradigmatic instance of the copious exotic objects that the Dutch mobilized in the ...seventeenth century - birds of paradise. Native to Papua New Guinea, these birds were prized throughout Europe for their stunning plumage, rarity, and distant origins. By reconstructing trade and interest in birds of paradise in the Netherlands, this essay describes how these exotic wares were described and evaluated; how they were valued on and off the market; and how the awe that they inspired served political purposes. In early modern Holland, the exotic depended for its value on the coordinates of the market, and also exercised a power beyond market control, entwined with the political aims of the emergent Republic. In ways that this essay delineates, birds of paradise exemplify early modern Dutch exoticism.
Multiple accounts of how theories of human psychology and of image-making influenced each other in a decisive period in the history of philosophy and art.
Reviews "Das Bild des Feindes : Konstruktion von Antagonismen und Kulturtransfer in Zeitalter der Türkenkriege" ("The image of the enemy : the construction of antagonism and cultural exchange in the ...era of the Turkish Wars"), edited by Eckhard Leuschner and Thomas Wünsch (Gebrüder Mann Verlag, 2013). Both the introduction and some of the essays in this volume emphasize the central role that art--and printed media in particular--played in the formation of the images of the enemy and, in parallel, influenced the formation of national identity in the crucible war. Revised Publication Abstract
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