While the Ancient Romans amassed collections of objects that were unusual or foreign to them, the tradition of studying and categorizing a collection was developed during the Renaissance. The Italian galleria or the German kunstkammer or wunderkammer (room of art or wonders) celebrated extraordinary objects from around the world and throughout time. Collections generally included examples from three primary categories: naturalia, plants, animals or minerals; arteficialia, man-made objects such as sculptures, weapons or paintings; and scientifica, scientific or mechanical objects that demonstrated man’s control over nature, such as clocks or automatons. Cabinets of Curiosity: Historical and Contemporary Interpretations will examine the history of “rooms of wonder,” how cabinets of curiosity evolved into the modern museum and discuss exceptional objects in the Springfield Museums’ collections that are on view in the current exhibition.
Presented by Heather Haskell, Director of the Michele and Donald D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts and George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum
The audience is invited to bring a lunch to enjoy during the program.
Cookies and beverage are provided courtesy of Big Y.
