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... Show moreThe 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? Show less
This thesis studies Venetian painting in its golden age, the sixteenth century, from an unconventional, anthropological point of view. Paintings of masters like Titian are demonstrated to have... Show moreThis thesis studies Venetian painting in its golden age, the sixteenth century, from an unconventional, anthropological point of view. Paintings of masters like Titian are demonstrated to have had social lives. Together with human beings they were embedded in social networks in which humans and paintings interacted; this happened to such an extent that paintings indeed became person-like. These interactions could take many forms; examples that are analysed include the miraculous image that is believed to supernaturally heal the faithful; images that suffer from violence (iconoclasm); and the veneration of female portraits that became substitutes for their absent sitters. Making use of a wide variety of sources, such as chronicles, letters, poetry, treatises, and legal documents, this study argues that the remarkable agency of these paintings was the result of a highly complex interplay of forces; religious, political, social, cultural and artistic factors all carried weight. One of its major conclusions is that the role of the artist, the one who physically produced the work, was relatively unimportant for the way these paintings functioned. Using a framework that is both anthropologically and historically informed, this thesis offers a new model for the study of pre-modern European art that is less biased by conceptions of art in the modern West. Show less
