Emblems: Their Development and Context in European Material Culture

Daniel Russell, University of Pittsburgh
Mara R. Wade, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Fridays, 2:00-5:00 pm; October 7, 21, November 4, 11, 18, December 2 and 9, 2005, and Saturdays 10:00 am-1:00 pm, October 8, October 29, and December 10, 2005

This seminar provides an interdisciplinary overview of the history, theory, and development of the emblem in its European context. The course will be co-taught by Daniel Russell and Mara R. Wade. The audience for this course can be drawn from all areas of Renaissance studies-art history, vernacular and Latin literatures, and history, to name a few.

The course will treat the individual emblem as well as entire emblem books. We will examine national traditions, genres within emblematics, and emblems in the arts and literature. While we focus on traditional print materials from both the Renaissance and the present day, there will also be an introduction to digital emblem sites and research.

The three-hour-course will be divided roughly into thirds: 1) lecture and introduction of material for the week; 2) discussion of readings and topic for the week; and 3) studying emblem books and related materials in the Newberry's Special Collections.

Students are expected to develop a topic concerning some aspect of emblematics, perhaps in conjunction with their own dissertation research. To this end, there will be deadlines for the development of a bibliography for further research, an appointment with one of the instructors to discuss the research topic, an abstract of the research project, an in-class presentation of the project, and a final paper.

Course Syllabus

A Short Description of Emblems



Funds may be available for students and faculty members of Consortium institutions to travel to the Newberry to attend Consortium seminars. For more information, please contact the Center.

All students must register for this course. To register, please call the Center for Renaissance Studies at 312-255-3514 or email renaissance@newberry.org

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