Events

Identities in the Early Modern Period

The Renaissance and early modern period (1350-1750) play a crucial role in the formation of Western identity. It was during these centuries that the notion of Europeanness first appeared, the strong, centralized state emerged, the printing press was invented, linear perspective was first devised, the Lutheran reformation – and the Counter-reformation – took place, and the European vernaculars gained importance alongside Latin, the old lingua franca of the West. Such events, changes, and inventions were not only important in their own right, they also created a wealth of new communities – political, social, cultural, religious, or linguistic – which had acute bearing on how people would define themselves, their identities.

    Identities are constructed on various levels; they have personal as well as collective dimensions, and there is power in specifying the identity of a community. Leaders, be they military, political, religious, institutional or other, can consolidate their positions by defining the identity of the members of their community, but in doing so effectively rely much on artists and scholars. As well as top-down, identities can be worked bottom-up, so to speak: actively working to construct an identity for oneself, for instance by means of art and scholarship, can be a way to gain membership or be accepted in a certain group or community.

Identities in the Early Modern Period is the sixth conference of the Nordic Network for Renaissance Studies.

Renaissance Itineraries: Tracing Spaces and Places in the Early Modern World

Further information about the conference: here (for 2022).

Reception sponsored by Centre for Danish Neo-Latin on 29.09, 18:00.

Programme here.

Speakers, titles and abstracts here.

Minutes of the business meeting on 30 September 2022: NNRS_2022_business_meeting.pdf

Renaissance Itineraries is the fifth conference of the Nordic Network for Renaissance Studies. Being itself a nexus of interconnected scholars circumscribed by geographical space, the network has chosen as a focus for its next conference the theme of itineraries, as explored through early modern art, music, literature, architecture and science. An itinerary involves movement from one place to another (or several others), and we use the term here to refer both to literal travel in the world and to more imaginative and imaginary journeys. The great minds of the Renaissance were deeply engaged in preparing itineraries, visiting the destinations included in them and reflecting on the experiences they gave rise to: contemporary scholars continue in their footsteps. We hope to receive proposals for papers which show how Renaissance itineraries have taken material form, imprinted themselves on memory, appealed to the senses, moved the emotions, triggered inventions and inspired ideas.