[1] Histories and Afterlives of Renaissance Collections
From: Sophia McCabe
Deadline: April 10, 2025

Society for the History of Collecting-sponsored session at Sixteenth Century Society Conference (October 30 – November 1, 2025)

Recent scholarship on the afterlife of objects presents ways by which Renaissance art underwent transformation, providing new meaning for new audiences. Albrecht Dürer’s drawing of hands placed closely together is seen widely today as a symbol of prayer, for example. Can the same or similar transformation be said for Renaissance collections? Early modern studies generally highlight the importance of patronage and the patron-artist relationship in the cultivation of collections. What has not been addressed fully is the afterlife of a collection. This session seeks to provide a new understanding of early modern collections and their receptions. Some questions and subjects to consider include:

- How did well-known art and science collections shape future collectors and collecting practices?
- How has the collecting of Renaissance art affected the scholarship of sixteenth through eighteenth-century art?
- Global collections during the long sixteenth century
- Museum exhibitions of private collections – 2024 saw museum exhibitions devoted to private collections, including “Masterpieces from the Borghese Gallery” at Musée Jacquemart-André. How might such exhibitions influence collecting practices and/or art market?
- Transformation of early modern collections for new audiences

Please email your proposal (maximum 250 words) and CV to americassocietyhistorycollecting.org with subject line “Sixteenth Century Society Conference proposal” by April 10.