This week’s Murray Seminar, which will take place on Thursday 24th November in the History of Art Dept at Birkbeck, in Room 106, 43 Gordon Square, London WC1H 0PD.  As ever, the seminar will start at 5pm, with a break at 5.50pm for those who need to leave to attend classes, and will continue with discussion and refreshments until 6.30pm.  Our speaker is Pippa Salonius, who is visiting from the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, and her topic is as follows:

Authority, Nature and the Image

Medieval culture has been described as a ‘culture of authority’. Kings, princes, and city-states all sought to establish themselves as central figures of authority. The pope, as the earthly representative of divine authority and justice, strived to remain their point of reference. As the ultimate authority, God’s work could be cited in words from the Bible or as images of the natural world. In a society where the word of God reigned supreme, visual reminders of this chain of command were of vital importance. Images, after all, were the lingua franca of medieval Christendom, but given the abstract nature of the message, how was its meaning best conveyed?

 

We look forward to seeing you there.

. . Category: Archived Events . Tags: History of Art, Murray, Murray Seminar, Pippa Salonius