Metaphysics and the Hyper-Real in Ulisse Aldrovandi's Watercolor Drawings Público

Abstract

Sixteenth-century Italian intellectual Ulisse Aldrovandi (1522-1605) was deeply invested in the collection, display, and dissemination of knowledge. He set out to create the most comprehensive and accurate record of natural phenomena to date. In service of this goal, he produced encyclopedias, constructed a unique museum, and commissioned drawings and prints to provide access to the true character of natural phenomena. I will demonstrate that the watercolor drawings Aldrovandi produced for his museum not only mimic but also replace and even surpass their referents in terms of their availability for an Aristotelean metaphysical learning experience; in doing so they become, what I will call, "hyper-real" depictions that can be seen as artistic analogues to Francis Bacon's concept of the novum organum. I deem them hyper-real because they supply more information about their referents than their referents can alone. They reveal the latter's entire ontological capacity in a single, succinct visual experience.

Table of Contents

Introduction…………………………………………………………………………… 1-2

Perspectival Positioning……………………………………………………………… 2-3

Entering the Encyclopedia…………………………………………………………… 3-12

Translating Tradition………………………………………………………………... 12-13

Visual Utility………………………………………………………………………... 14-17

The Ascent of the Hyper-Real………………………………………………………. 17-33

- Being in Paint……………………………………………………………….17-20

- Suspended Flat……….……………………………………………………. 20-25

- Laid Upright………..……………………………………………………… 25-29

- From Inside, Out…………….…………………………………………….. 29-33

The World Skinned………………………………………………………………….. 34-36

Figures…………………………………………………………………………….… 37-51

Bibliography………………………………………………………………………… 52-56

About this Master's Thesis

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School	Laney Graduate School
Department	Art History
Submission	Master's Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Art Criticism Fine Arts Art History
Palabra Clave	Aldrovandi
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Crawford, Christina Elizabeth, Emory University
Committee Members	Merrill, Linda, Emory University Pastan, Elizabeth, Emory University

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