Art Buzz January 16, 2012: Art History Meets Science: Prints and the Pursuit of Knowledge in Early Modern Europe at Northwestern University’s Mary & Leigh Block Museum of Art

ART & ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY NEWS

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Art History Meets Science: Prints and the Pursuit of Knowledge in Early Modern Europe

Source: Gapers Block, 1-16-12

cat55b_Beham-ManWomanHead_HAM_G8908.jpgScientists and history buffs may not realize it, but artists of the Northern Renaissance made vital contributions to the development of science during the 16th century.

Through a collection of rare and treasured prints, drawings, books, maps and scientific instruments, Prints and the Pursuit of Knowledge in Early Modern Europe at Northwestern University’s Mary & Leigh Block Museum of Art will demonstrate the active role artists played in facilitating the understanding of new concepts in astronomy, geography, natural history, and anatomy.

Featuring work by Albrecht Dürer, Hans Holbein, Hendrick Goltzius, Jacques de Gheyn and others, the exhibition will run Jan. 17-April 8, and will include in-gallery digital displays, video and audio segments, an iPhone/iPad app, and interactive replicas of sundials, globes, and other tools, along with a series of gallery lectures by art historians and curators over the coming weeks.

Admission to the Block Museum galleries and programs is free. For more information, visit the museum’s website or call 847-491-4000.