Lecture | Byvanck Lecture
The impact of Winckelmann on Europe
- Professor Eric M. Moormann
- Date
- Tuesday 4 December 2018
- Time
- Location
- National Museum of Antiquities
Rapenburg 28
2311EW Leiden - Room
- Temple Hall
Abstract
Johann Joachim Winckelmann’s birth and death years, 1717 and 1768, were commemorated in 2017 and 2018 with a series of exhibitions, congresses, book publications, and lectures. Winckelmann is generally seen as the founder of modern archaeology thanks to his groundbreaking works on the history of Greco-Roman art. He tried to define the various ‘arts’ of Egyptians, Etruscans, Greeks, and Romans as cultural phenomena in order to explain the supremacy of Greek civilization. To achieve this ‘Lehrgebäude’ he used knowledge from history, anthropology, medicine, geography, climate and, by doing so, expanded the narrow scope of antiquarian studies. The high level of Greek art made it the only valuable example for artists. Although most of his ideas became obsolete after some decades, scholars have always acknowledged the importance of his work and have hotly debated Winckelmann’s publications.
Registration
Admission is free but registration is required, register before November 25th.
About the Byvanck Lectures
Held for the first time in 2007, the Byvanck Lecture is the result of a generous donation from the bequest of the late Lily Byvanck-Quarles van Ufford, who has for many years been the driving force of the scholarly annual BABESCH (formerly Bulletin Antieke Beschaving). The foundation set up in her name aims to further the scholarship of Mediterranean Archaeology and the quality of the publications and events organized by the BABESCH Foundation aimed at the wider public.