History of Art Research Seminar Series 2024
June and Simon Li Lecture in the History of Art
Unknotting Dürer’s ‘Jerome’
Prof Alexander Marr (University of Cambridge)
5pm Thu 24 Oct
The pendulous gourd in Dürer’s ‘St Jerome in his Study‘ (1514) has long been an object of fascination and frustration for art historians. While most acknowledge that by including this bulbous fruit so prominently in the print Dürer intended it to have some special meaning, nobody can quite agree on what that meaning is. Interpretations have tended to be iconographical, drawing on sometimes obscure texts while largely ignoring the object’s curious, virtuosic form. Focusing on that form and the internal logic of the image, this talk will explore how, in the St Jerome, Dürer tackled the knotty problems of representation, ornament and signification.
Open to all. No booking required. All talks are approximately one hour and followed by a drinks reception.
Lecture Theatre
Faculty of History
George Street
OX1 2RL
