The Book of Marvels: Imagining Asia in Late Medieval France
du monde (The book of marvels of the world
December 8 • 6:00p
FIA Theater
Dr. Mark Cruse, Guest Lecturer
This lecture examines one of the most famous and sumptuous manuscripts produced in medieval Europe. The Book of Marvels, today preserved in the National Library of France, was produced circa 1410 for the crusader John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy. Its compilation of works on Asia, including Marco Polo, and 265 miniatures offer a sweeping portrait of people, places, animals, and customs from the Middle East to China. We will discuss how The Book of Marvels came to be and why it is such a valuable record of the global past.
Cruse is Associate Professor of French in the School of International Letters and Cultures at Arizona State University. His research focuses on the relationship between literature and visual culture in medieval Europe. His publications have examined the legend of Alexander the Great, manuscript illumination, heraldry, the Louvre, and medieval theater, among other subjects. He is currently writing a book on relations between France and Asia in the late Middle Ages.
New Archaeological Evidence for the Biblical Kingdom of David
January 11 • 6:00p
FIA Theater
Dr. Michael Pytlik, Guest Lecturer
Oakland University, in partnership with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, has conducted field excavations at the ancient site of Khirbet Qeiyafa, or Biblical Sha'arayim. The project was devoted to a regional assessment of the early Judean monarch (circa the early 10th century BCE) over eleven field seasons. This and other sites recently excavated revealed for the first time archaeological data about the kingdom from the time of King David. This site revealed details about ancient Israel from the time of David, including biblical religion, daily life, the ancient diet, socio-political details, and more. This talk will discuss why the site was selected for excavation, the exciting finds, and the scope and reach of the kingdom associated with the historical kingdom of David.
Dr. Michael Pytlik is Adjunct Assistant Professor in Anthropology and Religion and the Director of Jewish Studies at Oakland University. He has excavated a number of biblical and more recent sites in Israel and takes students from Oakland to Israel each year on excavations. Dr. Pytlik has a Bachelor’s degree in History and Philosophy, a Master's in Jewish Studies, and a Doctorate in Jewish Studies from Spertus College of Judaic Studies and Leadership, Chicago. His area of study was historical and theological questions relating to the early Israelite monarchy at the time of King David. He teaches courses in the Archaeology of Israel, Archaeology of Sacred Sites, Jewish History, Theology, Religion and Culture, and World Religions.
The Sheppy Dog Fund Lecture has been established to address the topics of art, religion, and history, and is funded annually by The Sheppy Dog Fund, Dr. Alan Klein, Advisor.
In the Garden
December 14 • 10:30a–11:30a
Isabel Hall
This talk by Curator Tracee Glab will take a close look at one of the FIA’s most beloved paintings Garden Study of the Vickers Children by American artist John Singer Sargent. At first glance, the painting may appear to be just a simple portrait of the English siblings Dorothy and Vincent Vickers, but the circumstances surrounding the portrait commission, including the details of a scandal involving the artist, reveal there’s more to explore.
John Singer Sargent, American, born Italy, 1856 - 1925. Garden Study of the Vickers Children, 1884. Oil on canvas. 54 1/2 × 36 in. Gift of the Viola E. Bray Charitable Trust via Mr. and Mrs. William L. Richards, 1972.47
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‘There came a deadly pestilence’: Art in Tuscany Before and After the Black Death Guest Lecturer: Dr. C. Griffith Mann This talk considers the societies and art produced in Tuscany before and after this global epidemic, with a special focus on works of art in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. | |
Guest Lecturer: Dr. Taylor Hagood In this lecture, Taylor Hagood will explore the forces driving the development of baroque architectural style and the powerful images of Caravaggio, Velazquez, Rubens, Rembrandt, and other artists throughout Europe in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. | Neha Vedpathak – Artist Talk For the exhibition Time (Constant, Suspended, Collapsed) Neha Vedpathak and Curator of Collections and Exhibitions Tracee Glab will discuss the artist's work and process. Sponsored by the Bray Charitable Trust. |
The Greatest Bible Ever Written Kennicott no. 1, La Coruña, Spain, 1476 Guest Lecturer: Dr. Gary Rendsburg Dr. Rendsburg presents a general background of Hebrew Bible manuscripts from before the age of printing and then focuses on the Kennicott Bible, its layout, format, biblical text, and beautiful illuminations. | Notre-Dame of Paris: In the Light of the Fire Guest Lecturer: Dr. Lindsay S. Cook In this illustrated talk, Dr. Lindsay S. Cook discusses the past, present, and likely future of the cathedral of Paris through its material remains, graphic traces, and digital doubles—including the laser scans produced of the building before and after the fire. |
Guest Lecturer: Dr. Mark Cruse This presentation discusses the influence of Asian art and materials on the design, production, and collecting of art in Europe in the late Middle Ages. Dr. Cruse examines the presence of Asian objects in European collections, and the ways in which contact with the East transformed manuscript illumination, monumental painting, sculpture, and other artistic media in Europe. | Guest Lecturer: Dr. Taylor Hagood The immigrant son of a Hungarian rabbi, Harry Houdini remains the most famous magician and greatest escape artist the world has known. From his fabulous escapes to his mysterious death, Houdini's life is itself a kind of grand magic illusion filled with a multitude of secrets and still-unsolved mysteries. |
| The Sheppy Dog Fund Lecture has been established to address the topics of art, religion, and history, and is funded annually by The Sheppy Dog Fund, Dr. Alan Klein, Advisor. | For more Sheppy Dog Fund Lecture, click here. |
