Call for Papers, session at RSA 2012:

Other Antiquities: Local Conceptions of the Past in Northern European Art and Culture

For Erwin Panofsky, the reintegration of classical form and content defined the Renaissance as a conscious revival of an historic antiquity. For historians of northern European art from the fifteenth to seventeenth centuries, this definition has long proved problematic yet the designation 'Northern Renaissance' still remains the most readily available shorthand for our objects of study. Recent scholarly investigation led by Christopher Wood and Alexander Nagel has queried the supposed historical lucidity underpinning the definition of the Renaissance. Recognizing the period's conception of antiquity as mobile and hybrid may help us better understand and define Renaissance art created north of the Alps, where classical revival took place in response both to imported and local stimuli.

This panel seeks papers that expand and/or complicate our understanding of antiquity in northern Europe in the period from 1400 to 1650. Papers may address the role of archaeological discoveries at home and abroad, histories of collecting and publishing, political uses of antiquity, rival interpretations of classical themes and forms, as well as the networks of exchange between patrons, intellectuals and artists formulating and promoting a localized antiquity. We welcome papers from all disciplines, particularly those that utilize a multidisciplinary approach. Please send your abstract (up to 150 words) and a short CV (including affiliation and contact information) no later than May 16, 2011 to both organizers: Stephanie Porras (scp2130columbia.edu) and Marisa Bass (mbassfas.harvard.edu)