by David Packwood | 20 April 2010 | Books
Amongst the many topics covered in The Accademia Seminars: The Accademia di San Luca in Rome, c. 1590-1635 (2009), the second volume of seminar papers from the Centre for Advanced Research in the Visual Arts (CASVA), are the following: the function of notaries within the Accademia, the relationship between philosophy, painting and academic theory, and the teaching structure of the organization. Each of the 12 essays may be seen as a window of opportunity for scholars working on the artistic and institutional culture of early modern Rome. For me, several essays suggest ways of enhancing my own research on such problems as the teaching of anatomy in Rome around 1600. I’d like to know more about the overlapping of medical centres and artistic spaces, a topic flagged up in essays by Julian Brooks and Frances Gage. I also found Laurie Nussdorffer’s essay on the intersection of notaries and the congregations of painters suggestive because it throws light on an aspect of academic culture that has been ignored – scribal practices and the business affairs of painters.
The volume has not been created for a narrow band of scholars though – a wider audience is envisaged, including members of the general public. This is what makes the whole project so deserving of praise, the dissemination of cutting edge ideas and research to those outside a small circle of academic friends.
According to CASVA, this Thursday there will be a presentation by Peter M. Lukehart (among others), project director of The Accademia Seminars and the related website “The History of the Accademia di San Luca, c. 1590–1635: Documents from the Archivio di Stato di Roma”.
3:30 p.m., Lecture Hall, Bard Graduate Center, 38 West 86th Street, New York, NY 10024. Register with [email protected] or call (212) 501-3019.
Ok Jonathan- thanks for that- David