Guardians Of Ink And Vellum: Ethiopian Magical Scrolls,
2017
Gettysburg College
Guardians Of Ink And Vellum: Ethiopian Magical Scrolls, Zachary A. Wesley
Wonders of Nature and Artifice
Ethiopian magical scrolls are powerful tools to combat sickness and demons in Ethiopian folk belief. As works of art, they display influences from Muslim, Jewish, and Christian sources. The scroll showcased in the “Wonders of Nature and Artifice” Exhibition was graciously donated by Mike Hobor, Gettysburg College Class of 1969. A prolific traveler, Mike purchased this piece in an art shop in Rome along with two other scrolls. 1 The scroll is believed to come from the city of Gondar, and is believed to date to the eighteenth-century. [excerpt]
Crocodiles - The Singular Beast In The Renaissance Cabinet,
2017
Gettysburg College
Crocodiles - The Singular Beast In The Renaissance Cabinet, Peter Zhang
Wonders of Nature and Artifice
Stuffed crocodiles often predominated many famous cabinets, hanging in the center of the ceiling. Crocodilians are the largest reptiles and the largest predator that spends time on land. They have existed for about 240 million years, and today there are 23 species of crocodilians in total, categorized in three families: 13 species of crocodiles, two species of alligators, and six species of caimans. Archaeologists found a “Supercroc” fossil as long as 40 feet (12 meters) and weighting 17,500 pounds in Niger. They believe that the crocodile lived alongside dinosaurs about 100 million years ago. [excerpt]
Ortelius's Map Of The World And Homann's Ship Model Map,
2017
Gettysburg College
Ortelius's Map Of The World And Homann's Ship Model Map, Jane C, Fitzpatrick
Wonders of Nature and Artifice
Abraham Ortelius and Johann Baptist Homann were very successful cartographers who benefitted from the rising trend in curiosity cabinets during the Renaissance. Ortelius lived from 1527-1598 and was born in Antwerp, Belgium, and Homann became famous in Nuremberg, Germany during his life from 1663-1724. [excerpt]
16th Century Antiphon,
2017
Gettysburg College
16th Century Antiphon, Abigail K. Major
Wonders of Nature and Artifice
The Renaissance era, which spanned from the 14th century until the 16th century, served as a transitional period. Considered to be a period of rebirth, the Renaissance commenced a revival in culture, literature, and the arts throughout Europe. The 16th century antiphon not only signifies that music was indeed an important aspect during the Renaissance, but is also tangible evidence that choral music, and more specifically Gregorian chant, were prominent forms of musical expression.
Under The Wing Of A Creature Of The Night,
2017
Gettysburg College
Under The Wing Of A Creature Of The Night, Julia M. Chin
Wonders of Nature and Artifice
Magnificent in its sheer power and beauty, this owl wing has a wingspan of 18 inches and measures 10 inches from the shoulder bone to the secondary feathers. Wings such as the one displayed play a vital role in the lifestyle of owls and other hunting birds who fulfill their dietary requirements through stealthy foraging in the dark of the night. Being predatory animals, an owl depends upon its wings as a weapon, equipping it with an arsenal worthy of any hunter. Because of their composition of downy feathers, soft fringes, and comb-like primary feathers, these light appendages create less …
Botanical Illustrations,
2017
Gettysburg College
Botanical Illustrations, Emily N. Roush
Wonders of Nature and Artifice
Botanical illustrations were an integral facet of botany in the Renaissance era. Many naturalists and physicians studied plants in collections to observe and record the naturalia. In many collections, specimens were displayed for visitors to draw and then create illustrations or prints. With an illustration, detail in plants could be captured and visually understood instead of learning through text. The great feature of illustrations was the fact that the specimens could be exotic yet still studied. Kusukawa says, “Pictures enabled scholars to access unobtainable objects, build knowledge of rare objects over time, and study them long after the live specimens …
Fossils: Digging Into The Past,
2017
Gettysburg College
Fossils: Digging Into The Past, Sidney N. Caccioppoli
Wonders of Nature and Artifice
Fossils collected in Renaissance collection cabinets were items of wonder and curiosity. Although sometimes mistaken for other pieces of naturalia, they were widely collected by owners of princely cabinets and scholarly collections.Though naturalists and collectors often kept fossils in their collections, they did not have the same understanding as we do today of what they are. Due to their belief in mythological monsters and naturalia with magical properties, there were often misinterpretations or mislabeled objects to something they were not. According to Kenseth’s “A World of Wonders in One Closet Shut,” some collectors believed that fossilized shark’s teeth were “adders’ …
Butterflies And Rebirth,
2017
Gettysburg College
Butterflies And Rebirth, Meredith E. Brown
Wonders of Nature and Artifice
During the Renaissance, collectors saw Morpho butterflies as beautiful, elegant, and rare creatures. Their exotic origin and sophistication made these fascinating creatures the subjects of scientific observation, decoration, and symbolism. Butterflies of the Morpho genus include a wide variety of marvelous, striking, and beautiful species. Home to South and Central America, Morpho butterflies thrive in the rainforests of Nicaragua, Colombia, and Venezuela. When Renaissance Europeans began exploring American rainforests, they were quickly captivated by these butterflies. Morphos feature vivid blue coloration and iridescence on the dorsal side of their wings as well as a yellow-brown coloration on the other side. …
Seutter Map Of America,
2017
Gettysburg College
Seutter Map Of America, Meredith D. Staats
Wonders of Nature and Artifice
The map featured in our show, Novus Orbis sive America, was printed in 1730. The engraving measures 50 x 58 centimeters and is a 1:19,000,000 scale.1 The map was donated by John H.W. and Mary G. Stuckenberg. It shows the “New World,” North and South America; the copy Special Collections owns features hand-colored continents. Different states or regions are colored in yellow, pink, orange, and green. On either side of each continent are islands with trade routes highlighted across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Also present are two text boxes, both in Latin, one in the upper left-hand corner and …
19th Century Miniature Landscape And Seascape,
2017
Gettysburg College
19th Century Miniature Landscape And Seascape, Kathleen C. Paul
Wonders of Nature and Artifice
As a gift to Gettysburg College, known as Pennsylvania College at the time, Johann Heinrich Wilbrand Stuckenberg willed his vast estate including an extensive 17th-19th century map collection after his death in London in 1903. J.H.W. Stuckenberg, and his wife Mary, were fond of the college for its progressive curriculum and support of his philosophical endeavors in publication, sociology, religion, and his native politics and culture.Two items that were bequeathed to the college are a pair of small paintings, one a landscape, the other a seascape. [excerpt]
Romanticism And Religion: The Superb Lily,
2017
Gettysburg College
Romanticism And Religion: The Superb Lily, Alexis Marie Michelle Zilen
Wonders of Nature and Artifice
“The Superb Lily,” was donated by Geoff Jackson, class of 1991 and beloved benefactor of Gettysburg College, to Special Collections. This first edition piece was published in the twenty first page of the book, Temple of Flora. This text is considered the greatest and most famous florilegia of the twentieth century due to its accuracy of descriptions and vast size. It contained a total of thirty five floral prints. The publisher, Robert Thornton, produced numerous copies of this book in the same year, however, the exact number of copies is unknown. (excerpt)
Wonders Of Nature And Artifice,
2017
Gettysburg College
Wonders Of Nature And Artifice, Schmucker Art Gallery
Schmucker Art Catalogs
A stuffed blowfish, a meticulously-drawn insect, a ravishing lily, and a rhinoceros horn carved with scenes of plants and animals—these were among the wonders of nature and artifice, the marvels that fueled the Renaissance quest for knowledge. This exhibition explores the intellectual and aesthetic motivations of Renaissance naturalists and collectors, whose wonders of nature and artifice were displayed in elaborate gardens, illustrated books, and remarkable cabinets of curiosities. Collectors were driven by curiosity and a sense of wonder about what seemed to be an ever-expanding world. Students from Prof. Felicia Else’s upper-level art history course and Kay Etheridge’s First Year …
Virtual Reality In Real Time: A Conversation,
2017
Bryn Mawr College
Virtual Reality In Real Time: A Conversation, Shari Frilot, Homay King
Arts Program Faculty Research, Scholarship, and Creative Work
No abstract provided.
Captive Body, Free Mind: Euphrosinia Kersnovskaia, The Gulag, And Art Under Oppression,
2017
Gettysburg College
Captive Body, Free Mind: Euphrosinia Kersnovskaia, The Gulag, And Art Under Oppression, Laura G. Waters
Student Publications
This paper examines the art of Euphrosinia Kersnovskaia (1907-1994) as it relates to both the larger experience and narrative of the Soviet Gulag and to the survival of the artist. Larger trends of art made under oppression are used to find reason for such seemingly insignificant acts, and art therapy frameworks provide analytical bases for approach. By looking at such deeply subjective forms of memory and its transcription, individuality and humanity is returned to an inhuman penal system.
Some Observations And New Discoveries Related To Altar 3, Pacbitun, Belize,
2017
CUNY Bronx Community College
Some Observations And New Discoveries Related To Altar 3, Pacbitun, Belize, Sheldon Skaggs, Christophe Helmke, Jon Spenard, Paul F. Healy, Terry G. Powis
Publications and Research
The Pre-Columbian Maya city of Pacbitun, Belize (Fig. 1) is distinguished by the high number of stone monuments (n- 20) identified during the roughly three decades of archaeological research conducted there (Healy et al. 2004:213). Altar 3, recovered in a cache within the main pyramidal structure of the site in 1986, was one of those monuments, but, unlike most of the others from the site, it is carved and bas a short hieroglyphic text. Yet, similar to several of the others, it had been broken in the past and, its pieces scattered. Archaeological excavations in 2016 recovered another piece of …
Artemis: Depictions Of Form And Femininity In Sculpture,
2017
Gettysburg College
Artemis: Depictions Of Form And Femininity In Sculpture, Laura G. Waters
Student Publications
Grecian sculpture has been the subject of investigation for centuries. More recently, however, emphasis in the field of Art History on the politics of gender and sexuality portrayal have opened new avenues for investigation of those old statues. In depicting gender, Ancient Greek statuary can veer towards the non-binary, with the most striking examples being works depicting Hermaphroditos and ‘his’ bodily form. Yet even within the binary, there are complications. Depictions of the goddess Artemis are chief among these complications of the binary, with even more contradiction, subtext, and varied interpretation than representations of Amazons. The numerous ways Artemis has …
Book Review: Baroque Naples And The Industry Of Painting: The World In The Workbench,
2017
Portland State University
Book Review: Baroque Naples And The Industry Of Painting: The World In The Workbench, Jesse Locker
Schnitzer School of Art + Art History + Design Faculty Publications and Presentations
A brief review of Christopher Marshall's "Baroque Naples and the Industry of Painting: The World in the Workbench," published by Yale University Press in 2016.
Sukima: Vertical Views Of The Floating World (2017),
2017
Rhode Island School of Design
Sukima: Vertical Views Of The Floating World (2017), Theory & History Of Art & Design Department, Elena Varshavskaya (H791 Instructor)
Ukiyo-e Prints Course | Exhibition Catalogs
"Sukima is a Japanese word for a crack in a door, a narrow space that opens up when the panels of the sliding doors are pushed to the sides. ... You’ve seen enough to electrify your imagination and let it complete the picture. This is what happens when you look at a long and narrow ukiyo-e print in a pillar format – hashira-e. Or perhaps this partial sight only unleashes your curiosity and, craving a fuller view, you expand the narrow slit and can now enjoy broader vistas replete with details. For such cases ukiyo-e designers came up with …
Impressive Failures: Mavericks Of Film Authorship And The Impossibility Of Success In Hollywood,
2017
CUNY Graduate Center
Impressive Failures: Mavericks Of Film Authorship And The Impossibility Of Success In Hollywood, Tom S. Davies
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
This dissertation directly challenges the critical and commercial primacy of success attached to Hollywood films and their filmmakers, especially when one argues for or against their quality and/or importance within cinematic history. Through a process of shifting and multiplying perspectives within a broader narrative that is critical of what separates success and failure, certain films and filmmakers that were judged as failures or disappointments under impossible prerequisites of creating a successful film––commercially, aesthetically, or both–– are, instead, reconsidered as constructive counterpoints to the expectations of the Hollywood economic field of production as well as to the inevitable disappointment of the …
Posthumanist Animals In Art: France And Belgium, 1972-87,
2017
CUNY Graduate Center
Posthumanist Animals In Art: France And Belgium, 1972-87, Arnaud Gerspacher
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
This dissertation traces the changing role and increased importance of nonhuman animals in art of the 1970s and 80s. Focused largely on artists in France and Belgium, this period stands at the head of a wide-ranging re-conceptualization of animality that continues to unfold today. Pivotal moments in ecology (beginning with the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm), animal ethics and ethology (such as the Universal Declaration of Animal Rights proclaimed in 1978), and philosophy (specifically the biopolitical and deconstructive currents critiquing the centrality of the humanist subject), all converge as stress points along long held anthropocentric …
