Art, Science, and the Natural World, session at the 54th International Congress on Medieval Studies, Western Michigan University, May 9–12, 2019

Many medieval images and objects indicate an interest in and demonstrate specific understandings of the natural world. Rendered as visual and material witnesses, technologically complex works and those in scientific treatises feature prominently in histories of transmission and translation, not only across cultures, but also from text into image/object. In recent years, art historians have begun to question the implications of these transfers by rethinking the modes of such works’ making and reception. Accordingly, the relationship between artistic practice and scientific knowledge, a given work’s scientific or technological qualities, and the engagement with the natural world beyond its mere illustration are coming into sharper focus.

This panel aims to engage with conceptions of and the relation between science, technology, and the natural world in medieval art. We seek papers that explore how artworks mediated knowledge and structured experiences of the natural world, and/or that consider the function of artistic practice in the construction of scientific knowledge during the Middle Ages. Among others, we invite papers on medical and anatomical images, herbal and lapidary topics, medieval maritime or celestial maps, hybrid bodies and wondrous creatures, naturalism in architectural decoration, as well as objects such as time-keeping devices, astrolabes or automata. We also encourage submissions that are concerned with issues of technological and material manipulation (i.e. paint and pigments, stone carving, weaving, etc.), as well as sensory knowledge and perception.

Session Organizers
Sophie Ong, Rutgers University
Robert Vogt, Johns Hopkins University

Session Sponsor
International Center of Medieval Art (ICMA)