Material Journeys in Art and Culture
Travels of Pigment, Paper and Plants into the Art of the Northern Renaissance and Enlightenment
How did ultramarine blue, derived from an Afghan rock (lapis lazuli), and carmine red (from a Mexican beetle) find their way into Rubens, Van Eyck and Rembrandt’s paintings in Antwerp and Amsterdam, via Venice and Seville?
In a second story, paper and printing come together in these great trading cities, fostering a culture of map-making and knowledge production that encouraged further exploration.
A third material journey here is one of plants from South America and the Arabian Peninsula, sometimes smuggled, often transplanted through great botanical gardens like Kew, that travelled onwards to create other cultures, further afield and across the world.
This mini-series of three talks will be about merchants, travellers, trading ports and the art that they have gifted us.
Event Information
Price: £45
Course Weeks: 3
Room: Kincaid Hall
Campaign: Spring Term 2026
Your Tutor
Name: Dr Simon Harvey
Bio: Dr Simon Harvey has co-led ‘Art and Common Space’ at the Art Academy, University of Trondheim in Norway, and has an extensive background teaching students of art and architecture. Simon also produces artistic interventions in public spaces, and has a long-standing fascination around maps in artistic practices.
Department: Humanities