This dissertation explores the ways in which affective responses to disabled bodies are represented and how this invites us to read these bodies aesthetically. I argue that this affective impact... Show moreThis dissertation explores the ways in which affective responses to disabled bodies are represented and how this invites us to read these bodies aesthetically. I argue that this affective impact can be understood as an affordance, a term I use to describe how the appearance of and interaction with disabled bodies produces affective responses such as fear, wonder, or disgust. I study the relationship between representation and affective reactions through literature and other art forms. Through close readings of literary texts and works of art, this dissertation offers an alternative to so-called model thinking—an approach that emphasizes categorization. Instead, I propose a reading that focuses on how bodily capacities are culturally and socially translated into (dis)abilities. Unlike taxonomic approaches that categorize and generalize, this method allows moving from the particular to the private. Works of art, although prone to generalization, emphasize their unicity and resist categorization. By analyzing how different art forms represent disabled bodies, the dissertation brings a new dimension to understanding our emotional responses and the aesthetic appreciation of bodily diversity. Show less
In de loop van de eerste vier decennia van de twintigste eeuw dringt de poëzie vanaf 1880 door in bloemlezingen voor de hoogste klassen van gymnasium en h.b.s. In deze studie worden de overwegingen... Show moreIn de loop van de eerste vier decennia van de twintigste eeuw dringt de poëzie vanaf 1880 door in bloemlezingen voor de hoogste klassen van gymnasium en h.b.s. In deze studie worden de overwegingen om poëzie te bloemlezen en de keuzes die daaruit voortkomen van een vijftal bloemlezers (allen leraren) beschreven. Elk van hen propageert een methodiek om poëzie in de literatuurles te verwerken, van een open, globale kennismaking tot een intensieve analyse van een gedicht. Soms wordt een gedicht van een context voorzien maar doorgaans wordt een gedicht als zelfstandige tekst aangeboden. Naast deze bloemlezers brengt voordrachtskunstenaar Paul Huf ter ondersteuning van het onderwijs op een veertiental grammofoonplaten zijn gesproken bloemlezing. Zijn voordracht kan als voorbeeld dienen. Verder inventariseert deze studie de inhoud van 85 schoolbloemlezingen uit de periode 1898–1941 met in totaal 6758 gedichten van 254 dichters. Uit deze inventarisatie blijkt naast de voorkeur voor dichters uit de eerste jaren vanaf 1880 de vrij snelle popularisatie van anderen in de loop van de jaren 1920, 1930. Bloemlezers volgen op literair-historische gronden keuzes van voorgangers, daarnaast tonen zij een brede persoonlijke keuze. Schoolbloemlezingen representeren de voortgang van de contemporaine poëzieproductie en representeren het belang dat docenten voor de literatuurles hechten aan poëzie. Show less
The Bibliotheca Enchusana or Librije of Enkhuizen is one of the oldest libraries that are still preserved in situ in the Netherlands and can rightfully be called a unique book historical monument.... Show moreThe Bibliotheca Enchusana or Librije of Enkhuizen is one of the oldest libraries that are still preserved in situ in the Netherlands and can rightfully be called a unique book historical monument. In this dissertation the history of the Librije is reconstructed through a new scholarly catalogue, which is based on a hands-on examination of all the books from the library’s holdings. The catalogue contains extensive bibliographical descriptions as well as information about the physical evidence of every book’s unique history, such as inscriptions of former owners, binding details, and manuscript annotations. Together with information from archival documents, the new catalogue helps to better understand the holdings of the Librije, their origin and history, as well as the use and function of the library since its foundation. Subsequently, this dissertation explores how the specific character of Enkhuizen influenced the Librije and how the role of the library changed throughout history. Show less
"Change, alter, or perhaps transform?" Selecting the perfect word for a specific context, such as when composing a report or a speech, is all the easier with a thesaurus at hand. These... Show more"Change, alter, or perhaps transform?" Selecting the perfect word for a specific context, such as when composing a report or a speech, is all the easier with a thesaurus at hand. These lexicographic resources are invaluable for looking up alternative words or phrases that convey a specific meaning. In addition, thesauri offer a number of uses beyond looking up alternative phrasings: they are veritable treasure troves for cultural, linguistic, anthropological, and literary-critical research — especially when these resources are arranged in a topical fashion, a hierarchical ordering of its groups of loosely synonymous words according to their meaning. This doctoral dissertation investigates how Web-based dissemination of historical language thesauri can be improved to facilitate academic explorations of language and culture. The investigation includes a case study of "A Thesaurus of Old English", expressing it in a Linguistic Linked Data form and making it available through the web application Evoke, newly developed by the author of this dissertation. A number of researchers, taking part in the research project Exploring Early Medieval English Eloquence, have engaged with these two digital resources and show that thesauri are by no means exhausted by previous investigations. The results demonstrate that both the new dissemination form and the innovative functionalities provided by the web application can offer novel ways in which to explore and analyse thesaurus content of this early medieval variant of the English language. Show less
What does this dissertation on De Haan and language contribute to the ongoing research on De Haan? As I explain in the introduction, this dissertation does not discuss in detail the person and life... Show moreWhat does this dissertation on De Haan and language contribute to the ongoing research on De Haan? As I explain in the introduction, this dissertation does not discuss in detail the person and life of Jacob Israël de Haan himself. The focus has been on the conceptualisation of language and De Haan’s use of language. By making this choice, I do not reduce De Haan to his decadent period, which is often the case, but rather consider his work from the meta-level of language. This dissertation not only shows how De Haan views the phenomenon of language and its use, but also what he is capable of with language, in which way he uses language as a flexible instrument, which language approaches he uses in the process, which language attitudes he can adopt and to what end. Show less
This thesis researches the profession of the upholsterer – or ‘kamerbehanger’ in Dutch – and the role they played in the creation of interiors in the Dutch Republic, in the long eighteenth century ... Show moreThis thesis researches the profession of the upholsterer – or ‘kamerbehanger’ in Dutch – and the role they played in the creation of interiors in the Dutch Republic, in the long eighteenth century (1680-1810). Its research centers on the cities of Amsterdam, The Hague and Haarlem. A total of 234 shops or individual upholsterers working there in this period were found. Hopefully, the index of their names included in this thesis will advance future research. The first chapter describes the way the profession developed, as well as how upholsterers learned the trade, worked, kept their shops and advertised. In the following four chapters, the relation between upholsterer and client is explored in-depth through case studies from the period 1680-1810.Upholsterers provided bed and wall hangings, curtains of all sorts, upholstered furniture and other textile wares. They were a relatively small but diverse group working in the luxury industries, with about 10 shops at any one time in Amsterdam and in The Hague, and about 1-5 shops in Haarlem. Some upholsterers did not have a shop but worked their trade from a single room, or worked for others. Most kept a small shop. For some, this was indeed the best profession (‘le meilleur métier’). Upholsterers such as a Pierre Courtonne or Johannes Deel, working for the Stadholders and the elite of their day, were able to amass fortunes of 20,000-50,000 guilders and played a role in designing interiors. Succes was dependent on factors such as seed money, an up-to-date knowledge of current fashions, and maintaining good relations with clients. Most shops went from father to son, and most of the upholsterers working in the Republic were locals. Only a small percentage were foreign-born, and even though France exercised a large influence on the luxury market in the eighteenth century, this is not reflected in the number of French upholsterers settling in the Republic. Only at the end of the century can an increase in their number be seen, and a handful of ‘French upholsterers’ settle in Holland. They seem to have had an advantage over their Dutch colleagues in that they were able to purchase the latest French wares directly through their connections.Regarding the relationship with their clients, it has been found that most upholsterers played the role of advisor and facilitator, when helping their clients buy a new interior or furniture. All-in-all, the case studies show how upholsterers would balance their client’s quest for the newest and most fashionable furniture and interiors with their budget and the available goods. Show less
This thesis explores the use of narrative patterns in Herodian’s History of the Roman Empire (third century AD), a work that covers in eight books the period between the death of Marcus Aurelius,... Show moreThis thesis explores the use of narrative patterns in Herodian’s History of the Roman Empire (third century AD), a work that covers in eight books the period between the death of Marcus Aurelius, in 180, and the accession of Gordian III, in 238. Drawing from narratological studies and literary theory, this dissertation provides a detailed analysis of the shape, function, and scope of the literary strategies used in the History. Aspects of Herodian’s narrative style that have often been criticized in modern scholarship (abundance of repetitions and formulae, indiscriminate use of classical models, excessive dramatization of events and characters) are re-examined through close readings of selected episodes. This is an investigatigation into the inner workings of Herodian’s storytelling and historiographical methods, in an effort to show that truth is not opposed to fiction, but both are key elements of the intellectual process inherent to the production of a historical text: through amplification, thematization, and arrangement, fiction, or invention, supplies raw facts with a density essential to any sort of deeper historical understanding. The narrativization of historical material is at the heart of this study. Show less
The corpus of Æsopian fables books has been taught to French children and teenagers for centuries. Yet little analysis looks at the production in its entirety. Therefore, within this corpus, I... Show moreThe corpus of Æsopian fables books has been taught to French children and teenagers for centuries. Yet little analysis looks at the production in its entirety. Therefore, within this corpus, I evaluated the relationship between the text, the images, and the educational purpose of various fable authors using 252 visuals, published between 1500 and 2020. Sources include picture books, board games, sheet music, posters, school materials, and even application software. All have in common the aim of pursuing or promoting an educational use of the fables. My research focuses on the role that illustrated fables play in French education.Through a sociological approach that features the concept of médiation littéraire, book history, literary analysis, the study of the layout of the books and intermedial analysis, I conclude that Æsopian fables are used as a social link between generations of French people.They became essential across primary schools in the mid-19th century. Before that, they were mostly intended for socially privileged children whose families could afford a secondary education.Regardless of the century, the illustrations which accompany fables play a role in the text’s adoption across French schools: they participate in the transmission of the genre and other kinds of knowledge Show less
a successful book in Italy and then beyond the Alps. While the literary reception of Ariosto inFrance has already been widely studied since the work of Alexandre Ciorănescu and SijbrandKeyser, this... Show morea successful book in Italy and then beyond the Alps. While the literary reception of Ariosto inFrance has already been widely studied since the work of Alexandre Ciorănescu and SijbrandKeyser, this PhD dissertation consists of an analysis of the diffusion of this masterpiece throughthe prism of the loving passion. In the sixteenth century, during the first French reception, readers and authors felt passionately about amorous episodes, and more specifically ones about the madness of desperate lovers. French authors took several figures of unfortunate lovers from the abundance of characters in Orlando furioso. Besides, thanks to its plasticity, Ariosto’s text was able to inspire most literary genres. We study the evolution of this representation of passion in French translations and imitations, both through a diachronic analysis and an analysis by literary genre. While in the first translations the French transposition can sometimes influence the representation of passion, the love poetry adopted more aesthetical an approach of these episodes. We insist on the 1570s, as they demonstrate the presence of remake in the epic genre but also of many partial imitations. Thus, the representation of the sentiment amoureux will progressively be depicted with more diversity and complexity until the beginning of the seventeenth century when it evolved towards a more psychological approach. Show less
This research problematizes the rapid growth of beauty blogs, investigating how this process has been shaped and accelerated by gender discourses, platform labor, and the beauty industry, each of... Show moreThis research problematizes the rapid growth of beauty blogs, investigating how this process has been shaped and accelerated by gender discourses, platform labor, and the beauty industry, each of which is rooted in the broader context of China’s social transformation. It offers an integral frame to understand the drivers and effects of beauty bloggers and the wanghong economy in China. It reveals that the explosive development of beauty blogging in China is a result of connections and cooperation among heterogeneous actors at a specific historical conjuncture. Gendered beauty has played an indispensable role in China’s economic reform in that the former has driven and strengthened the latter and vice versa. Platforms worked in tandem with changing beauty discourses and promoted their expansion through beauty blogs. In the meantime, the rise of beauty blogging in China is an embodiment of global capitalism, which has strong ties with the beauty industry’s pre-digital system of mass production. Show less
**English Translation of this thesis can be found at : https://hdl.handle.net/1887/3245181 **Deze dissertatie gaat over hoe schrijvers en beeldende kunstenaars uit Equatoriaal Guinea door middel... Show more**English Translation of this thesis can be found at : https://hdl.handle.net/1887/3245181 **Deze dissertatie gaat over hoe schrijvers en beeldende kunstenaars uit Equatoriaal Guinea door middel van hun werk aandacht vragen voor de huidige (politieke) situatie in hun land; een voormalige kolonie van Spanje die in 1968 onafhankelijk werd met tot op heden een dictatoriaal regime. Onderzocht is, vanuit een politiek-filosofisch kader (Jacques Rancière en Alain Badiou) en door middel van een narratieve en visuele analyse, waar zich in de werken van de uit het land afkomstige schrijvers Donato Ndongo Bydiogo, Juan Tomás Ávila Laurel en María Nsue Angüe, en de beeldende kunstenaar Ramón Esono Ebalé, breukvlakken en leegten bevinden. Mijn onderzoek toont aan dat het bijzondere en de kracht van hun werken niet zozeer gelegen is in de hierin naar voren komende historische aspecten of bepaalde binaire tegenstellingen (zoals veel onderzoekers tot nu toe veronderstelden), maar juist in het poëtische van wat de in de werken gevonden breukvlakken en leegten blootleggen en openen. Dat maakt dat met deze werken een procedure in gang wordt gezet die de gesloten waarheid van het huidige dictatoriale regime overstijgt, waarmee die dictatuur als het ware wordt opengebroken en geleegd. Show less
This dissertation examines how in eighteenth-century Europe, naturalists sought to study, grasp and capture the world of fish. Working on the intersection of the history of science and book history... Show moreThis dissertation examines how in eighteenth-century Europe, naturalists sought to study, grasp and capture the world of fish. Working on the intersection of the history of science and book history, this research aims to shed light on how naturalists came to present themselves as authorities in an emerging field. It does so by focussing on a set of ‘fish books’, i.e., natural historical works that describe and depict fish. The first is Francis Willughby and John Ray’s "Historia piscium" (Oxford, 1686); the second Peter Artedi’s "Ichthyologia sive opera omnia de piscibus" (Leiden, 1738), and the third Marcus Élieser Bloch’s twelve volume series "Allgemeine Naturgeschichte der Fische" (Berlin, 1782–1795). These works are analysed alongside correspondences, manuscripts and natural historical collections. Together, these sources show that the development of the study of fish in this period can be best be understood as a process of continuous demarcation. This dissertation argues that the study of fish was subject to recurrent debates on subject, method and practitioner, and that such discussions were of both epistemological and social nature. In presenting their fish books, naturalists leveraged such discussions as to secure a place for themselves in the capricious environment of early modern natural history. Show less
In analyses of four case studies – the establishment of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, the Hague Yi Jun Peace Museum, the trial of Lucia de Berk, and the French ‘Contaminated Blood... Show moreIn analyses of four case studies – the establishment of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, the Hague Yi Jun Peace Museum, the trial of Lucia de Berk, and the French ‘Contaminated Blood Affair,’ – the dissertation shows that new forms of spatiality, corporeality, media and genre are currently breaking open, undermining and renewing the existing legal order. Scholars in the field of Law and Culture have always conceptualized law as a theatrical affair in terms of the logic of drama, a form that consolidates the legitimacy of the existing legal order. In recent years, scholars, lawyers and citizens have also been taking note of a legitimacy crisis that confronts legal institutions in our time. The dissertation argues that this crisis becomes apparent in a close reading of the forms law’s theatricality currently takes, as legal institutions are increasingly confronted with, or permeated by, a theatrical logic that theatre scholar Hans-Thies Lehmann called the ‘postdramatic’. This is celebrated on the one hand, because of the political possibilities that might arise out of these confrontations. On the other hand, cultural responses to these legal events also make apparent a revaluation of dramatic forms. The thesis is an exercise in reading law ‘with’ artworks. Show less
This dissertation explores the performative qualities of the museum presentation of Chinese porcelain from the Ming and Qing dynasties. It explores the capability of porcelain display to generate a... Show moreThis dissertation explores the performative qualities of the museum presentation of Chinese porcelain from the Ming and Qing dynasties. It explores the capability of porcelain display to generate a body of surplus meanings with ideological overtones and the underlying Self-Other configurations. It also investigates how certain effects that the display performs are connected with specific viewing experiences. To illustrate these issues, it presents six case studies and provides close readings of the narrative framings built around Chinese porcelain, as well as the spatial narratives constructed by the positioning of objects and specific viewing orders in gallery spaces. The first two case studies are semi-permanent displays in two prominent national museums: The British Museum in London and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Following these two cases are three high-profile temporary exhibitions: the co-curated exhibitions Asia > Amsterdam (2015-2016) at the Rijksmuseum and Asia in Amsterdam (2016) at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem; and China: Through the Looking Glass (2015) at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The final case study is a national museum that, compared to the institutions of the previous case studies, has a more confrontational attitude towards Chinese heritage: The National Palace Museum in Taipei, Taiwan. Show less
The dissertation examines the life and work of G.B. and A. Salm, father and son. Their body of work embraces a wide diversity of architectural styles. Although they occupied a central position... Show moreThe dissertation examines the life and work of G.B. and A. Salm, father and son. Their body of work embraces a wide diversity of architectural styles. Although they occupied a central position within the principal architecture associations at the time they do not seem to have taken a clear position in the polemics on style and material use that architects of the time were engaging in. Their buildings are at first sight difficult to place within the architectural history of the nineteenth century, as a result of which they are all too readily classed among the ‘eclectics’, the group of architects who presented a mixture of styles as a contemporary alternative to the perceived ‘impasse’ in architecture. The question that this dissertation addresses is whether this label is correct. Very little is known about the ideas that form the basis of the designs of this father and son. A further study and analysis of their ideas and their body of architectural work has therefore been carried out to determine the true place of both G.B. and A. Salm in the architecture of the nineteenth century. This study includes a review of the networks and clientele of both father and son. Show less
The German journalist, writer and politician Bodo Uhse (1904 – 1963) would have completely disappeared in the mist of history, had not his one decision - to leave Hitlers NSDAP and to join the KPD... Show moreThe German journalist, writer and politician Bodo Uhse (1904 – 1963) would have completely disappeared in the mist of history, had not his one decision - to leave Hitlers NSDAP and to join the KPD in 1931 – saved him from oblivion. His determined and apparently spectacular step, did provide him, from the very moment he returned to East Germany in 1948, with a prosperous career and a reputation of being one of the more heroic antifascists in the country. This study – formally a biography - describes the development of Uhses political stance, from about 1921 till the moment he left the NSDAP and became a member of the KPD, and tries to shed a fresh light on why he made his move in the first place, why the despised communist party suddenly ended up as a welcome home for his political ideas. A clarification of the “Konservative Revolution”, a generic term for a number of right wing groups propagating similar ideas on how German society should be changed, and an analysis of the change of direction set in by the KPD in 1930, by issuing a manifesto, introducing a national and social agenda into her program helps us to understand Uhses ‘switch’, and, similarly, putting it in perspective. Show less
Discourses on humanoid machines as cultural objects encompass a range of topics pertaining to the functions and significances of humanoid machines in contemporary culture and science fiction;... Show moreDiscourses on humanoid machines as cultural objects encompass a range of topics pertaining to the functions and significances of humanoid machines in contemporary culture and science fiction; however, not much attention has been paid to the specific theme of altruism in relation to fictional robots. This dissertation examines the theme of altruism in the representation of robots in early science fiction texts as a means of revealing a thematic preoccupation with questions regarding human nature and benevolence. These science fiction narratives constitute more than mere literary reactions or responses to various technophobic anxieties in the age of industrialism and/or the horrific aftermath of the First World War. Rather, these narratives also sought to explore and better understand the human condition by exploring the nature of human benevolence. By establishing a theoretical framework followed by literary analyses of selected texts, this dissertation contributes to our understanding of the versatility of fictional robots more generally, as well as our understanding of early thematic developments of this particular subgenre in science fiction. Show less
Why should we look at art when we talk about nuclear power? Nuclear power, military and civilian, has been framed as a solution many times: a solution to end war and sustain global peace, a... Show moreWhy should we look at art when we talk about nuclear power? Nuclear power, military and civilian, has been framed as a solution many times: a solution to end war and sustain global peace, a solution for growing energy demands in rich countries, and more recently, a solution to climate change. All of these solutions soon produced a number of new problems, or turned into problems themselves, contributing to the wicked complexity of the techno-human condition. Yet, it is a mistake to turn away from complexity and seek answers in the form of certainties. After all, the ‘solutions’ listed above are a product of creating certainties where there are none, of trying to overcome complexity and ambiguity.In this study, I argue that art is relevant to the nuclear debate not despite, but because the answers it offers to the societal questions raised by nuclear technologies suggest other problems. Drawing on Braden R. Allenby and Daniel Sarewitz’s notion of ‘intelligent muddling’ as a strategy to navigate the techno-human condition, I show through a series of close readings of recent artistic responses to nuclear energy production and its ‘by-products’ that art points towards ways of muddling through nuclear complexity. Show less
This project examines the representation of sexual trauma in trauma narratives written by the Turkish author Elif Şafak. She writes trauma novels by using diverse narrative devices to give form to... Show moreThis project examines the representation of sexual trauma in trauma narratives written by the Turkish author Elif Şafak. She writes trauma novels by using diverse narrative devices to give form to the unpresentable trauma of sexual violence. In particular, her works explore the relationship between violence and silence as well as femininity and masculinity as defined by Turkish society, the possibility of healing from trauma, and the role that society plays in the healing process. Since I focus on those narratives that enact the trauma caused by sexual violence and gender-related issues at the structural and thematic levels, my corpus consists of novels that portray the complex relationship between rape, childhood abuse, honor killings, and sociocultural dynamics in Turkey. Show less
This study focuses on the decorative oeuvre of Willem Adrianus Fabri (1853-1925). As one of the few decorative painters from the era 1870-1925, quite a bit of his work has been preserved in situ.... Show moreThis study focuses on the decorative oeuvre of Willem Adrianus Fabri (1853-1925). As one of the few decorative painters from the era 1870-1925, quite a bit of his work has been preserved in situ. Characteristic for his decorative paintings is the great variety of activities in terms of interior types. In his almost fifty-year career Fabri has decorated houses, theaters, churches, government buildings, palaces and passenger ships. From around 1877 Fabri worked for the Rotterdam furniture company C.H. Eckhart. This company belonged to the large furniture factories in the Netherlands. Around 1893 Fabri started his own painting studio. Fabri's oeuvre is pre-eminently representative of the profession of decorative painter in the period described. This area of the applied arts in the Netherlands has been neglected so far. Beside the decoration works of Willem Fabri this study examines his network, sources of inspiration, clients and competitors. Show less
