DRAWN FROM THE LIFE: PERSPECTIVES ON ART AND SCIENCE IN EUROPE, c.1500-1700
Instructor: Nathan Flis, Postdoctoral Fellow
Course number: ARTH 4809 C, Winter Term 2014, Thursdays, 2:35-5:25
on canvas, 155.5 x 166.5 cm, Ottawa, National Gallery of Canada
This seminar introduces the fascinating and bizarre world of art and science in early modern Europe, c.1500-1700. Organized around the theme of “drawing from the life” (drawing from nature), it will explore the intricate connections between Art (as craft) and Science (as knowledge), with weekly topics to include: the depiction of animals (from the paintings of Piero di Cosimo to the illustrations in early natural history books); the art of anatomical illustration (including the work of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo); perspectives on the discovery and exploration of the New World; and the phenomenon of collecting rarities of art and nature (cabinets of curiosities). Open to upper year undergraduates from any program.
Course Syllabus – Drawn from the Life