Description
Kunstkammern, art and curiosity cabinets housed in a dedicated room or suite of chambers, were often filled with thousands of diverse and sometimes shocking objects reflecting the bounty of nature and human creativity. These could range from a cherry pit carved with dozens of faces to an intricate drinking cup fashioned from a rhinoceros horn. Whether as a setting for personal contemplation or as a manifestation of the wealth and prestige of its owners, these proto-museums dazzled visitors of the time. This book offers the first in-depth comparative examination of the history, theory, organization and character of the major Kunstkammern in the Holy Roman Empire.
About the Author
Jeffrey Chipps Smith is Kay Fortson Chair in European Art at the University of Texas, Austin, and specializes in early modern Northern European art. His most recent book is Albrecht Durer and the Embodiment of Genius: Decorating Museums in the Nineteenth Century (2020).
Book Information
ISBN 9781789146127
Author Jeffrey Chipps
Format Hardback
Page Count 336
Imprint Reaktion Books
Publisher Reaktion Books
About the Author
Jeffrey Chipps Smith is Kay Fortson Chair in European Art at the University of Texas, Austin, and specializes in early modern Northern European art. His most recent book is Albrecht Durer and the Embodiment of Genius: Decorating Museums in the Nineteenth Century (2020).
Book Information
ISBN 9781789146127
Author Jeffrey Chipps
Format Hardback
Page Count 336
Imprint Reaktion Books
Publisher Reaktion Books
