From the Anatomy Theatre to the Theatre of the Book: On the Theatricalisation of Styles and Strategies for the Discovery and Presentation of Knowledge

During the sixteenth century in Europe, the notion of the theatre manifested itself as both a physical place and a literary construct where artists, scholars, and scientific practitioners collaboratively developed new styles and strategies for the discovery and presentation of knowledge. Previous scholarship that explored the early modern epistemological value of the theatre has focused on the visual arrangement of materials within a specific architectural setting for the benefit of its contemplation by a distanced spectator, but equally important is the role of the author as the narrator of this space. Furthermore, previous studies have highlighted similarities in the use of the notion of the theatre by artists, scholars, and scientific practitioners. Building on these studies, this special issue aims to fine-tune rather than broaden the field by bringing specificity and difference through the exploration of temporal and regional differences; defining the theatricality (i.e. the adoption of theatrical elements and performative practices) of a range of visual styles and strategies; and tracing the origin(s), application, and exchange of these styles and strategies in different areas and disciplines of the early modern arts, humanities, and sciences.

Specifically, this special issue (to be published in 2022/2023) takes as its starting point the exploration of a postulated (inter)relationship between two main examples of the use of the notion of the theatre during the sixteenth century, namely: the anatomy theatre and the use of the theatre as a book title. It seeks proposals that define and trace the exchange of specific styles and strategies between different epistemic (knowledge producing) operations: dissecting (cutting into pieces) and collecting (assembling/assemblage, bringing it together); different media (print or text and performance) and different localities (denoting both geographical areas and different scenes of knowledge, which includes, in addition to the anatomy theatre, the kunstkammer, studiolo, laboratory, and museum). We invite authors from theatre and literary studies, as well as intellectual history and history of science to submit a title and article abstract before Wednesday October 7 to seip[@]biblhertz.it Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions.

Image source: Anatomical theater, Joannes Blaeu, Shouwtoneel der steden van de Vereenighde Nederlanden, 1649. Courtesty of the Royal Library of Belgium, III 94 530 E 1. Image taken from the exhibition 'Vesalius. Imagining the Body Exhibition', 2015, Museum Leuven.