Connoisseurship—a bundle of practices combining a sense of the quality of works of art, the ability to attribute them to their makers, and to discriminate between originals, copies, and forgeries—is a contested term with a contested history. In this lecture, Peter Burke argues that the “invention” of connoisseurship happened gradually rather than suddenly and took place in the West neither, as has sometimes been argued, in the nineteenth century, nor—perhaps surprisingly—in the Renaissance, but in the seventeenth century when treatises on the subject begin to appear.
Peter Burke is a cultural and social historian who was born in 1937, studied at Oxford (1957–62) and taught at the Universities of Sussex (1962–78) and Cambridge (1979–2004). He is a Life Fellow of Emmanuel College. His publications have focused in turn on historiography, the Renaissance, popular culture, and the history of knowledge, including the distinctive roles of exiles and polymaths. His latest book is a history of ignorance and his next will be a history of connoisseurship.
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Follow the guidance of BGC staff, who are monitoring visitor traffic throughout the building. They are there to help keep everyone safe and comfortable. Visitors who do not follow posted instructions from our staff will be asked to leave.
Risk of exposure
An inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public space where people are present. By visiting BGC Gallery, you acknowledge and voluntarily assume all risk to any potential exposure to COVID-19.
Stay home if you feel sick
Please do not visit BGC Gallery if you have a fever or any COVID-19 symptoms, have tested positive for COVID-19 within the past 14 days, or have had close contact with anyone who is confirmed to have or suspected of having COVID-19.
Vaccination required
Bard Graduate Center requires up-to-date vaccination against COVID-19 as defined by the Centers for Disease Control.
Social distancing is encouraged
We recommend keeping at least six feet from others not in your party when possible.
Follow signs and directions from BGC staff members
Follow the guidance of BGC staff, who are monitoring visitor traffic throughout the building. They are there to help keep everyone safe and comfortable. Visitors who do not follow posted instructions from our staff will be asked to leave.
Risk of exposure
An inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public space where people are present. By visiting BGC Gallery, you acknowledge and voluntarily assume all risk to any potential exposure to COVID-19.
