Call for Essays:

"The Art and Science of Collecting in Eighteenth-Century Europe"
Edited by Dr. Arlene Leis and Dr. Kacie Wills

We are inviting chapter abstracts for a collection of essays designed for academics, specialists and enthusiasts interested in the interrelations between art, science and collecting in Europe during the long 18th century. Considering a broad range of collections, (objects) and ideas, our volume will discuss the topic of art, science and collecting in diverse theoretical contexts, such as art historical, feminist, social, gendered, colonial, archival, literary and cultural ones. To accompany our existing contributions, we welcome essays that take a global and material approach, and are particularly keen on research that makes use of new archival resources. We encourage interdisciplinary perspectives and are especially interested in essays that reveal the way in which women participated in art, science, and collecting in some capacity.

The compendium will consist of around 15 essays 6000 words each (including footnotes), with up to four illustrations. In addition to these more traditional essays, we are looking for shorter (circa 1,000 words) case studies on material objects pertaining to collections/collectors from that period, and the subject of art, science and collecting will also be central to these contributions. These smaller pieces will each include one illustration.

The following topics/case studies are particularly desired:
– Women’s collecting interests
– Histories and methodologies of collecting, taxonomies, cataloging, arrangement, and modes of display
– Cabinets of curiosities/Wunderkammer
– Catalogues
– Collections housed in art and/or science institutions
– The boundaries between the natural and the artificial
– Scientific and artistic tools and instruments
– Seriality vs. rare objects
– Transitional objects
– Conservation
– Collecting networks
– The artist collector
– The scientist collector
– Science, art and collecting in domestic spaces
– Antiquarian collections
– Print culture

All inquiries should be addressed to Arlene Leis, aleis914gmail.com or Kacie Wills, kacie.willsgmail.com


Essay abstracts of 500 words and 300 word abstracts for smaller case studies are due January 30, 2019 and should be sent along with a short bio to: artsciencecollectinggmail.com

Finished case studies will be due July 30, 2019, and due date for long essays will be September 30, 2019.