With the birth of the “new science” in the wake of Bacon, the theories on the world and nature ceased being essentially poetic –as they were considered in the long inherited mediaeval tradition– and began to be felt as essentially scientific. Modern science and the development of the artistic culture of the Baroque came hand in hand and became the cornerstones of the history of European culture. In this modern science, the discovery of the foundations of nature led to questions on the relationship between people and the natural environment, which went beyond living nature to open up new avenues to the theories of light and colour, space and time, as expressed in the creative brilliance of Velázquez in the gardens of Villa Medicis.

The Baroque School Focus-Abengoa Foundation, directed by Antonio-Miguel Bernal Rodríguez, “Science, Nature and Art in the Time of the Baroque”, which is scheduled from the 9^th  to 11^th  of November, will be held at Seville's Hospital de los Venerables. The course is free of charge. We hope that it will be of interest to you.

Argument

With the birth of the “new science” in the wake of Bacon, the theories on the world and nature ceased being essentially poetic –as they were considered in the long inherited mediaeval tradition– and began to be felt as essentially scientific.

Modern science and the development of the artistic culture of the Baroque came hand in hand and became the cornerstones of the history of European culture. In this modern science, the discovery of the foundations of nature led to questions on the relationship between people and the natural environment, which went beyond living nature to open up new avenues to the theories of light and colour, space and time, as expressed in the creative brilliance of Velázquez in the gardens of Villa Medicis.

The “vision” of nature took on a variety of projections through the art of the Baroque. The conception of the natural world under the impetus of the 17^th and 18^th century scientists became increasingly removed from the previous allegories and symbolism. The landscape as an expressive medium emerged in pure form as man interacted with nature.

Recalling among others, André Mollet in his treatise Le Jardin de Plaisir (1651), from the gardens of delights of the 16^th century to the gardens of love of the 17^th century, natural history experienced a qualitative leap in the representation of nature as art and in art under the guise of collecting and as visual culture.

This art and science in the time of the Baroque were not antagonistic and instead were interrelated in the construction of a new pictorial time and space where nature became viewed even more intensely less as a divine hieroglyphic and more as visual culture, a faithful reflection of the influence of science on art.

Registration

Free entrance

Access to the whole course or to individual conferences is open. The sessions will be held in the Church of the Hospital de los Venerables, which hosts Focus-Abengoa Foundation. The main entrance is located in Los Venerables Square.

By registering at Focus-Abengoa official website, attendants will be awarded a certified diploma and will be able to gain credits. Loyola University Andalucia, Pablo de Olavide University and University of Seville will officially award ECTS credits (European Credit Transfer System).

Price: 30 euros.

Scholarships

Scholarships will be granted to obtain diplomas (limited). More information available on our website.

Programme

Monday, 9^th November

19:45 h. Presentation

• 20:00 h. Inaugural Conference: Poussin’s Reflections on Man, Nature and Art Keith Christiansen, Metropolitan Museum of New York

Tuesday, 10^th November

• 10:00 h. Jesuits in Baroque culture: art, education, science Guillermo Rodríguez Izquierdo SJ., Loyola University Andalucia
• 11:00 h. Natural history and visual culture in the seventeenth century José Ramón Marcaida, University of Cambridge

12:00 h. Break

• 12:30 h. Science, the sciences and Baroque Javier Viar, Bilbao Fine Arts Museum
• 17:00 h. Symbolic Baroque Ornithology: birds in books of emblems and prints of the 17^th century José Julio García Arranz, University of Extremadura
• 18:00 h. 17^th century Italy: the breeze through the leaves Manuela Mena, Prado National Museum

19:00 h. Organ concert leaded by José Enrique Ayarra Jarne, Focus-Abengoa Foundation organist, at Hospital de los Venerables Church

Wednesday, 11^th November

10:00 h. Still life: the vanities in the work of Valdés Leal Enrique Valdivieso, University of Seville

11:00 h. Velázquez and nature Guillaume Kienzt, Louvre Museum

12:00 h. Round table About landscape

• Presenter: Juan Fernández Lacomba
• Participants: Javier Viar, José Ramón Marcaida and Guillaume Kienzt

13:30 h. Closure

15:30 h. Campus visit to Focus-Abengoa Sanlúcar la Mayor Landscapes of Guadiamar Fernando Amores and Juan Fernández Lacomba

Scientific coordination

• Antonio-Miguel Bernal Rodríguez, University of Seville. National Prize in History

Coordinator

• Rocío García-Carranza, Focus-Abengoa Foundation