{"id":9737843473,"title":"The Ivory Mirror: The Art of Mortality in Renaissance Europe","handle":"the-ivory-mirror-the-art-of-mortality-in-renaissance-europe","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBy Stephen Perkinson\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWith contributions from Naomi Speakman, Katherine Baker, Elizabeth Morrison, and Emma Solberg.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePublished in conjunction with an exhibition of the same name on view at the Bowdoin College Museum of Art from June 24 through November 26, 2017.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe often imagine the Renaissance as an age of exceptional human progress and artistic achievement. But, intriguingly, macabre images proliferated in precisely this period: unsettling depictions of Death personified, of decaying bodies, of young lovers struck down in their prime. While the explicit goal of these memento mori was to remind viewers of life’s fragility and convince them of the urgent need to turn away from earthly pursuits, many of these objects also embraced the material pleasures of life, as they were elegantly crafted and composed of luxurious materials.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorbid themes run riot in the remarkable array of artworks featured in \u003cem\u003eThe Ivory Mirror\u003c\/em\u003e. Nearly 200 illustrated artworks—from ivory prayer beads and gem-encrusted jewelry to exquisitely carved table sculptures and printed imagery—present us with an aspect of this era that is at once darker and more familiar than we might have expected. In the midst of an increasingly complex and uncertain world, Renaissance artists turned to poignant, often macabre imagery to address the critical human concern of acknowledging death, while striving to create a personal legacy that might outlast it. The essays gathered here discuss the development and significance of this transformative art of the past, while exploring themes that are still relevant today: how does one navigate the implicit tension between mortality and morality and seek to balance individual pleasure with the pursuit of a greater good? \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStephen Perkinson\u003c\/strong\u003e is Peter M. Small Associate Professor of Art History and guest curator, Bowdoin College Museum of Art. \u003cstrong\u003eNaomi Speakman\u003c\/strong\u003e is curator in the Department of Prehistory and Europe at the British Museum, London. \u003cstrong\u003eKatherine Baker \u003c\/strong\u003eis an assistant professor of art history at Arkansas State University. \u003cstrong\u003eElizabeth Morrison\u003c\/strong\u003e is senior curator of manuscripts at the J. Paul Getty Museum. \u003cstrong\u003eEmma Solberg\u003c\/strong\u003e is assistant professor of English at Bowdoin College.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePublished by the Bowdoin College Museum of Art and distributed by Yale University Press, New Haven and London.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e240 pages, with 174 color illustrations\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2017-10-24T09:58:55-04:00","created_at":"2017-06-29T08:47:04-04:00","vendor":"Bowdoin College Museum of Art","type":"Book","tags":["Art Museum","Catalogs \u0026 Books"],"price":5000,"price_min":5000,"price_max":5000,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":5000,"compare_at_price_min":5000,"compare_at_price_max":5000,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":36286447249,"title":"Default Title","option1":"Default Title","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"BCMA-17IVORY","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":true,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"The Ivory Mirror: The Art of Mortality in Renaissance Europe","public_title":null,"options":["Default Title"],"price":5000,"weight":0,"compare_at_price":5000,"inventory_quantity":99,"inventory_management":"shopify","inventory_policy":"deny","barcode":"","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/store.bowdoin.edu\/cdn\/shop\/products\/bcma-cat17ivory.jpg?v=1571438557"],"featured_image":"\/\/store.bowdoin.edu\/cdn\/shop\/products\/bcma-cat17ivory.jpg?v=1571438557","options":["Title"],"media":[{"alt":"Ivory Mirror book cover.","id":196114448473,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":1.0,"height":550,"width":550,"src":"\/\/store.bowdoin.edu\/cdn\/shop\/products\/bcma-cat17ivory.jpg?v=1571438557"},"aspect_ratio":1.0,"height":550,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/store.bowdoin.edu\/cdn\/shop\/products\/bcma-cat17ivory.jpg?v=1571438557","width":550}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBy Stephen Perkinson\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWith contributions from Naomi Speakman, Katherine Baker, Elizabeth Morrison, and Emma Solberg.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePublished in conjunction with an exhibition of the same name on view at the Bowdoin College Museum of Art from June 24 through November 26, 2017.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe often imagine the Renaissance as an age of exceptional human progress and artistic achievement. But, intriguingly, macabre images proliferated in precisely this period: unsettling depictions of Death personified, of decaying bodies, of young lovers struck down in their prime. While the explicit goal of these memento mori was to remind viewers of life’s fragility and convince them of the urgent need to turn away from earthly pursuits, many of these objects also embraced the material pleasures of life, as they were elegantly crafted and composed of luxurious materials.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorbid themes run riot in the remarkable array of artworks featured in \u003cem\u003eThe Ivory Mirror\u003c\/em\u003e. Nearly 200 illustrated artworks—from ivory prayer beads and gem-encrusted jewelry to exquisitely carved table sculptures and printed imagery—present us with an aspect of this era that is at once darker and more familiar than we might have expected. In the midst of an increasingly complex and uncertain world, Renaissance artists turned to poignant, often macabre imagery to address the critical human concern of acknowledging death, while striving to create a personal legacy that might outlast it. The essays gathered here discuss the development and significance of this transformative art of the past, while exploring themes that are still relevant today: how does one navigate the implicit tension between mortality and morality and seek to balance individual pleasure with the pursuit of a greater good? \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStephen Perkinson\u003c\/strong\u003e is Peter M. Small Associate Professor of Art History and guest curator, Bowdoin College Museum of Art. \u003cstrong\u003eNaomi Speakman\u003c\/strong\u003e is curator in the Department of Prehistory and Europe at the British Museum, London. \u003cstrong\u003eKatherine Baker \u003c\/strong\u003eis an assistant professor of art history at Arkansas State University. \u003cstrong\u003eElizabeth Morrison\u003c\/strong\u003e is senior curator of manuscripts at the J. Paul Getty Museum. \u003cstrong\u003eEmma Solberg\u003c\/strong\u003e is assistant professor of English at Bowdoin College.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePublished by the Bowdoin College Museum of Art and distributed by Yale University Press, New Haven and London.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e240 pages, with 174 color illustrations\u003c\/p\u003e"}