Dear Colleagues:

I post his session statement on behalf of the chair. Proposals for
papers to the session chair are due May 9, 2008. The CAA Conference
will be held in Los Angeles, California, February 25-28, 2009.

Cabinet Pictures in Seventeenth-Century Europe

Andreas Henning, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, Gemaeldegalerie
Alte Meister, Theaterplatz 1, Dresden, 01067, Germany;

ndreas.henningskd-dresden.de

Cabinet pictures were exclusive objects of aesthetic discussion as early
as the Renaissance. At the beginning of the seventeenth century, there
was a surge of interest in these small paintings commissioned by private
collectors. Through painting on copper, in particular, new motifs and
aesthetic paradigms were introduced. This session investigates the
history of cabinet pictures in artistic centers in Europe, above all
with the intention of elaborating aesthetic criteria according to which
cabinet pictures were judged in the comparison among the arts
(paragone). Several questions may give us valuable insight. First,
regarding patrons and collectors: Who commissioned the works, how were
the pictures presented, and how were discussions conducted among the
circle of "connoisseurs"? Second, might investigations concerning the
intended purpose and the value attached to cabinet pictures in the
oeuvre of individual artists indicate the new significance of this
genre?

Emmanuel Lemakis
Director of Programs
College Art Association
212 691-1051, ext. 210
www.collegeart.org