Sensory Wonders: Art in the Renaissance World
6 December 2027
9:30am-12:30pm
Rewley House1 Wellington Square, Oxford, OX1 2JA
Event status:
Applications being accepted
Dates:
6 December 2027
Study Format:
In-person day/weekend
Fees:
£60.00
While the Renaissance is mainly associated with the development of perspective and the rediscovery of the antique within European contexts, it was also a period of global multisensory exchanges: perfumes and spices were traded over land and by sea, while chocolate, gold, cochineal, ivory, and lapis lazuli were extracted from Africa, Asia, and the Americas for consumption and transformation into a multitude of objects –with both productive and destructive results.
This half-day event will delve into the research behind the Ashmolean’s major exhibition, Renaissance Worlds: Art and the Senses, opening in June 2027. It will include presentations from ‘behind the scenes’: the curators’ approaches to the exhibition (and the research that went into it); the history behind the perfume and scent used in the interactives (and the chance to smell and touch some interactives); the community engagement project with the blind and partially sighted; and the conservation discoveries behind some of the paintings and objects in the show.
Please note: this event will close to enrolments ast 23:59 on 9 June 2027.
Book this course
Book your place online using the button below.
Accommodation
If you wish to stay with us before and/or after the event, please contact our Residential Centre for availability and discounted rates.
Call +44 (0) 1865 270362 or email res-ctr@conted.ox.ac.uk
Our accommodationour accommodation at Rewley House in Wellington Square has been rated as 4-Star Campus Accommodation under Visit England. All bedrooms are modern, comfortably furnished with tea/coffee making facilities, Freeview television, private bath/shower rooms and free WiFi. For more details see our accommodation information.
Recommended reading
Christian, K. & Clark, L. R. (eds.), European Art and the Wider World 1350-1550 (Manchester University Press, 2017)
Clark, L. R., Courtly Mediators: Transcultural Objects between Renaissance Italy and the Islamic World (Cambridge University Press, 2023)
Johnson, A. G., Renaissance Art: A Very Short Introduction. No. 129 (Oxford University Press, 2005)
Campbell, S. J. & Porras, S. (eds.) The Routledge Companion to Global Renaissance Art (Taylor & Francis, 2024) [open access here: https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/oa-edit/10.4324/9781003294986/routledge-companion-global-renaissance-art-stephen-campbell-stephanie-porras
Programme details
9.30am
Registration at Rewley House reception and tea/coffee
10am
Renaissance Worlds: Making an Exhibition
10.30am
Collaborating with Communities
11am
Interactives: From Smell to Touch
11.30am
Conservation: Discoveries from Behind the Scenes
12pm
Q&A
12.30pm
End of day
Fees
| Description | Costs |
|---|---|
| Event fee (includes tea/coffee) | £60.00 |
Funding
If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, or are a care-leaver in the UK, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:
Concessionary fees for short courses
Payment
Please see the terms and conditions for our open-access courses.
Dr Leah Clark – Tutor
Leah joined the department in 2021 and is an Associate Professor in the History of Art and a Fellow of Kellogg College as well as Director of Studies in History of Art. Previously, she worked at the Open University where her roles included Head of Research and Chair of the MA in Art History. She holds a BA from the University of British Columbia (Vancouver,) an MA from the Courtauld Institute of Art (London) and a PhD from McGill University (Montreal).
Module code: O26P117ARJ
Please use the ‘Book’ button on this page. Alternatively, please contact us to obtain an application form.
Image: by Lewis Clarke, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=77717785
