Global Visions in Art and Art History
Table of Contents
Global Visions ......................................................................................................................................... 1
Week 1 – The Renaissance: A European Phenomenon? ..................................................................... 2
Week 2 – The Dutch Global Age ...................................................................................................... 12
Week 3 – Art and Empire: Dutch Colonialism.................................................................................. 26
Week 4 – Being the ‘other’: Orientalism and the Empire ................................................................. 36
Week 5 – De-colonizing (the Museum) ............................................................................................ 52
Week 6 – On the Move: Migration and Art....................................................................................... 64
Exam dates
1. Paper: Sunday, 8 December 2024.
2. Exam: Wednesday, 15 January 2025, 11.00-
13.00, EDUC ALFA
,Week 1 – The Renaissance: A European Phenomenon?
Literature
Renaissance altarpieces: the far in the near: Kathleen Christian
A text about the influences from world cultures on altarpieces. Examples of different cultural elements
(than western) in altarpieces.
- It discusses Renaissance altarpieces and their connections to global trade, cultural exchange,
and diplomatic relations.
- It explores how altarpieces were influenced by luxury objects imported from distant places,
such as Asia and Africa, and how they reflected Europe's expanding commercial and cultural
interactions with the wider world.
- The altarpieces incorporated materials, techniques, and motifs from non-European cultures,
including textiles, pseudo-Arabic script, and oriental carpets.
- States the significance of altarpieces in conveying a sense of sacredness, prestige, and
aesthetic grandeur, as well as their role in representing the Christian faith in a global context.
Plumes of Sacrifice: Alexandra Russo
The significance of feather art in sixteenth-century Mexican culture (in the context of indigenous and
colonial religious practices). Russo examines how feathers were used in Mexican rituals, often
associated with human sacrifices where the victim would be adorned with intricate feather decorations
to symbolize their connection to the divine. This practice, deeply rooted in indigenous cosmology,
was adapted into Christian iconography by Spanish missionaries, who used feather art as a bridge
between native beliefs and Christian teachings.
- The article highlights several specific artworks, like the "Salvator Mundi" feather mosaic
which illustrates how Mexica artisans created Christian imagery that incorporated indigenous
symbols.
- This artwork, alongside others, suggests the blending of Christian and pre-Hispanic
aesthetics.
- Feathers in these pieces not only served decorative purposes but also embodied spiritual and
cosmic meanings.
Silver and Souls in Manila: Porras
- Explores the idea of "viral images" in the early modern period, specifically examining how
artworks, like those of Maerten de Vos, spread globally. She uses "virality" as a framework to
describe the rapid, widespread reproduction and adaptation of images across diverse cultures
and continents. This concept helps analyse how religious and cultural artworks circulated
(similar to today's internet media), facilitated by networks, artists, patrons, and the
infrastructures of colonial and missionaries.
This chapter reconstructs and completes the viral circuit of de Vos’s St. Michael the Archangel, tracing
how the ivory versions of the design, transformed in Manila yet still recognizable, were sent back to
New Spain and Europe.
,The chapter focuses on ivory sculptures, particularly those depicting religious figures like St. Michael
and the Virgin Mary, crafted by Chinese artisans (Sangleys) in Manila. These sculptures were made
from African ivory and were carved based on European prints, particularly those by Flemish artist
Maerten de Vos. These works served as both luxury goods and tools of religious conversion, reflecting
the complex interaction between commerce and evangelization.
The Manila Galleon trade facilitated the transportation of these ivory figures across the Pacific,
particularly to New Spain (Mexico). The chapter describes a notable 1655 inventory of the ship San
Francisco Javier, which carried various religious ivory sculptures intended for the Latin American
market.
The sculptures were not simply copies but adaptations. The Chinese artisans made modifications, such
as adding swords to St. Michael figures, aligning with both local artistic preferences and the
devotional needs of their Spanish patrons. This adaptation exemplifies how colonial and local art
forms could blend to create items that were both spiritually and economically valuable across different
cultures
The Material Creativity of Affective Artifacts in the Dutch Colonial World: Stefan Hanß
- The article is about feather fans from Dutch colonial Brazil. These artifacts represent the
crossing of Indigenous creativity and early modern global trade. Hanß emphasizes that these
fans were not merely decorative or symbolic objects but "affective artifacts"—crafted to
engage the senses and convey a deep material connection to Amazonian biodiversity.
Hanß describes these feather fans as affective objects that engage viewers through their vibrant
colours, textures, and craftsmanship. The aesthetic qualities of the fans, (colour vibrancy and intricate
details) made them desirable in European markets. This appeal went beyond decoration; it invited
curiosity and emotional responses, showcasing early modern European fascination with Amazonian
biodiversity
Dutch artisans drew upon Indigenous techniques, incorporating feathers from South America to create
objects that reflected both European and Amazonian artistic elements. This blending of styles
highlighted the “biocreativity” of Amazonian materials (the adapting of Amazon materials to meet
European tastes). Hanß contrasts this creative exchange with the traditional view of featherwork as a
static symbol of Indigenous identity, instead highlighting it as a dynamic, cross-cultural practice. The
objects were a popular collectible in European markets for “cabinets of curiosity.” Hanß critiques the
historic fetishization of feather fans as symbols of “Indigeneity.” Instead, he argues that these objects
reflect a shared material culture developed from interactions between Indigenous and European
artisans.
, Lecture
Today, four ways to deactivate the European renaissance!
1. Material culture rather than ‘Art’
2. Venice looks eastward
3. New arts from the new world
4. Islamic geometry in Europe
We will NOT focus on comparative art history on the basis of formal characteristics.
What will we focus on?
- We shift our attention objects that document contact and interaction between Europeans and
world beyond Europe
- The point op departure remains largely European, but we will reconsider the European canon
of art history in the light of global perspectives
- Different categories of objects
- We will also re-evaluate European critical terms and categories
o Different hierarchies (“high” versus “low art”; applied versus fine arts)
o The category ‘visual art’ did not exist in China of Americas
- These categories remain problematic within museums who display art from other cultures:
example of the MET
- Are European terms of historical periodization relevant for areas with other historic
traditions?
o Can we use “renaissance” or “baroque” for the arts in China or Mexico in the 17th
century?
Afro Atlantic boy – Militia of Amsterdam chaired: we can tell a more complete story about the
painting. We can identify the ‘nameless’ figures.
Global art history
- Is not comparative art history but rather looks at connections, contact, exchanges between
regions
- Pairs macro-art history (i.e. long-distance developments) to micro-history (i.e. individual
artworks).
- Moves away from the national “schools” of art history
- Studies art not purely as an academic phenomenon but in relation to historical power
imbalances (colonialism and imperialism)
From ca. 1600 establishment of a “world economic system”: global trade networks connect Europe to
East Asia and Americas.
From ca. 1700 – period of European colonization and “Great Divergence”
Table of Contents
Global Visions ......................................................................................................................................... 1
Week 1 – The Renaissance: A European Phenomenon? ..................................................................... 2
Week 2 – The Dutch Global Age ...................................................................................................... 12
Week 3 – Art and Empire: Dutch Colonialism.................................................................................. 26
Week 4 – Being the ‘other’: Orientalism and the Empire ................................................................. 36
Week 5 – De-colonizing (the Museum) ............................................................................................ 52
Week 6 – On the Move: Migration and Art....................................................................................... 64
Exam dates
1. Paper: Sunday, 8 December 2024.
2. Exam: Wednesday, 15 January 2025, 11.00-
13.00, EDUC ALFA
,Week 1 – The Renaissance: A European Phenomenon?
Literature
Renaissance altarpieces: the far in the near: Kathleen Christian
A text about the influences from world cultures on altarpieces. Examples of different cultural elements
(than western) in altarpieces.
- It discusses Renaissance altarpieces and their connections to global trade, cultural exchange,
and diplomatic relations.
- It explores how altarpieces were influenced by luxury objects imported from distant places,
such as Asia and Africa, and how they reflected Europe's expanding commercial and cultural
interactions with the wider world.
- The altarpieces incorporated materials, techniques, and motifs from non-European cultures,
including textiles, pseudo-Arabic script, and oriental carpets.
- States the significance of altarpieces in conveying a sense of sacredness, prestige, and
aesthetic grandeur, as well as their role in representing the Christian faith in a global context.
Plumes of Sacrifice: Alexandra Russo
The significance of feather art in sixteenth-century Mexican culture (in the context of indigenous and
colonial religious practices). Russo examines how feathers were used in Mexican rituals, often
associated with human sacrifices where the victim would be adorned with intricate feather decorations
to symbolize their connection to the divine. This practice, deeply rooted in indigenous cosmology,
was adapted into Christian iconography by Spanish missionaries, who used feather art as a bridge
between native beliefs and Christian teachings.
- The article highlights several specific artworks, like the "Salvator Mundi" feather mosaic
which illustrates how Mexica artisans created Christian imagery that incorporated indigenous
symbols.
- This artwork, alongside others, suggests the blending of Christian and pre-Hispanic
aesthetics.
- Feathers in these pieces not only served decorative purposes but also embodied spiritual and
cosmic meanings.
Silver and Souls in Manila: Porras
- Explores the idea of "viral images" in the early modern period, specifically examining how
artworks, like those of Maerten de Vos, spread globally. She uses "virality" as a framework to
describe the rapid, widespread reproduction and adaptation of images across diverse cultures
and continents. This concept helps analyse how religious and cultural artworks circulated
(similar to today's internet media), facilitated by networks, artists, patrons, and the
infrastructures of colonial and missionaries.
This chapter reconstructs and completes the viral circuit of de Vos’s St. Michael the Archangel, tracing
how the ivory versions of the design, transformed in Manila yet still recognizable, were sent back to
New Spain and Europe.
,The chapter focuses on ivory sculptures, particularly those depicting religious figures like St. Michael
and the Virgin Mary, crafted by Chinese artisans (Sangleys) in Manila. These sculptures were made
from African ivory and were carved based on European prints, particularly those by Flemish artist
Maerten de Vos. These works served as both luxury goods and tools of religious conversion, reflecting
the complex interaction between commerce and evangelization.
The Manila Galleon trade facilitated the transportation of these ivory figures across the Pacific,
particularly to New Spain (Mexico). The chapter describes a notable 1655 inventory of the ship San
Francisco Javier, which carried various religious ivory sculptures intended for the Latin American
market.
The sculptures were not simply copies but adaptations. The Chinese artisans made modifications, such
as adding swords to St. Michael figures, aligning with both local artistic preferences and the
devotional needs of their Spanish patrons. This adaptation exemplifies how colonial and local art
forms could blend to create items that were both spiritually and economically valuable across different
cultures
The Material Creativity of Affective Artifacts in the Dutch Colonial World: Stefan Hanß
- The article is about feather fans from Dutch colonial Brazil. These artifacts represent the
crossing of Indigenous creativity and early modern global trade. Hanß emphasizes that these
fans were not merely decorative or symbolic objects but "affective artifacts"—crafted to
engage the senses and convey a deep material connection to Amazonian biodiversity.
Hanß describes these feather fans as affective objects that engage viewers through their vibrant
colours, textures, and craftsmanship. The aesthetic qualities of the fans, (colour vibrancy and intricate
details) made them desirable in European markets. This appeal went beyond decoration; it invited
curiosity and emotional responses, showcasing early modern European fascination with Amazonian
biodiversity
Dutch artisans drew upon Indigenous techniques, incorporating feathers from South America to create
objects that reflected both European and Amazonian artistic elements. This blending of styles
highlighted the “biocreativity” of Amazonian materials (the adapting of Amazon materials to meet
European tastes). Hanß contrasts this creative exchange with the traditional view of featherwork as a
static symbol of Indigenous identity, instead highlighting it as a dynamic, cross-cultural practice. The
objects were a popular collectible in European markets for “cabinets of curiosity.” Hanß critiques the
historic fetishization of feather fans as symbols of “Indigeneity.” Instead, he argues that these objects
reflect a shared material culture developed from interactions between Indigenous and European
artisans.
, Lecture
Today, four ways to deactivate the European renaissance!
1. Material culture rather than ‘Art’
2. Venice looks eastward
3. New arts from the new world
4. Islamic geometry in Europe
We will NOT focus on comparative art history on the basis of formal characteristics.
What will we focus on?
- We shift our attention objects that document contact and interaction between Europeans and
world beyond Europe
- The point op departure remains largely European, but we will reconsider the European canon
of art history in the light of global perspectives
- Different categories of objects
- We will also re-evaluate European critical terms and categories
o Different hierarchies (“high” versus “low art”; applied versus fine arts)
o The category ‘visual art’ did not exist in China of Americas
- These categories remain problematic within museums who display art from other cultures:
example of the MET
- Are European terms of historical periodization relevant for areas with other historic
traditions?
o Can we use “renaissance” or “baroque” for the arts in China or Mexico in the 17th
century?
Afro Atlantic boy – Militia of Amsterdam chaired: we can tell a more complete story about the
painting. We can identify the ‘nameless’ figures.
Global art history
- Is not comparative art history but rather looks at connections, contact, exchanges between
regions
- Pairs macro-art history (i.e. long-distance developments) to micro-history (i.e. individual
artworks).
- Moves away from the national “schools” of art history
- Studies art not purely as an academic phenomenon but in relation to historical power
imbalances (colonialism and imperialism)
From ca. 1600 establishment of a “world economic system”: global trade networks connect Europe to
East Asia and Americas.
From ca. 1700 – period of European colonization and “Great Divergence”
