Conrad Gessner's Fish Books (1556-1560): processing information in a rapidly expanding field of knowledge

Hendrikx, S.M. (2024)

Doctoral Thesis

The mid-sixteenth century was a time of rapidly intensifying interest in the study of living nature. Networks of experts described a rapidly growing number of species, complementing descriptions with ad vivum depictions. Since the increase in the number of known species soon called for an organisation of this information, to keep this accessible and navigable, naturalists experimented with classifications and the presentation of information in text and image. This dissertation explores questions about the management of knowledge and information specifically in the context of natural history, looking at a subfield of zoology, the study of fishes and other aquatic animals, as an example, taking as a point of departure the works published by the naturalist Conrad Gessner (1516-1565). Gessner aimed to incorporate into his works an overview of the state of knowledge. As a result his work presents an ideal case study from which to approach questions such as: What happens when a field of knowledge experiences a sudden influx of information? How is information made accessible, how do researchers keep the overview of an increasing quantity of information? How is rudimentary and incomplete information processed and presented, how does it affect established interpretations and methods of working?

• Classification
• Information organisation
• Natural history
• Sixteenth century
• Renaissance
• Processing information
• Presentation of information
• Formation of fields of knowledge
• Early modern
• Exchange of information

• All authors: Hendrikx, S.M.
• Supervisor: Smith, P.J.; Enenkel, K.A.E.
• Committee: Pollman, J.S.; Müller, J.; Kusukawa, S.; Leu, U.
• Qualification: Doctor (dr.)
• Awarding Institution: Leiden University Centre for the Arts in Society (LUCAS), Faculty of Humanities, Leiden University
• Date: 2024-06-06