The Appeal of Sculpture in Renaissance Italy: Collecting, Patronage, Style, and the Role of Touch

Organizer: Joaneath Spicer, Walters Art Museum

New perspectives on the perception of sculpture, especially the small bronze, have been raised in current and recent research projects, publications and exhibitions. This session seeks to draw these together to foster broader insights, including from the fields of literature, psychology, and neuroscience. The representation of the collector and collections, issues inherent to the paragone debates, the differences in sculpture meant to be touched or held and sculpture that was simply to be viewed, how sculpture generates “pleasure”: these are all potential subjects.
This proposal is prompted by a fruitful ongoing collaboration at the Walters Art Museum melding the perspectives of an art historian and a neuroscientist in assessing the role of tactility in the appeal of the small bronze in Renaissance Italy. A small exhibition on this subject will be on view at the Walters in Baltimore at the time of the conference, while an exhibition on the sculptor Antico will be at the National Gallery in Washington. The possibility of group visits to both will be offered. The session is sponsored by the Italian Art Society.

Please email your proposal (maximum 150 words) with your name, affiliation and cv (maximum 2 pages) by 15 May 2011 to Joaneath Spicer jspicerthewalters.org