During a time of globalization, colonization, and warfare, Europeans in the Renaissance embraced new technology even as they lamented its disruptive, destructive, and destabilizing consequences.
Renaissance Invention explored the conception of novelty and technology through an unprecedented study of Nova Reperta (New Discoveries), a late sixteenth-century print series that celebrated the marvels of the age, including the stirrup, the cure for syphilis, and the so-called discovery of America. Designed in Florence and printed in Antwerp, the Nova Reperta images spread far and wide, shaping Europeans’ perceptions of the innovations that were changing the world and breeding anxiety about the future.
In Renaissance Invention, materials from the Newberry’s collection appeared alongside armor from the Art Institute of Chicago and astronomical instruments from the Adler Planetarium, transporting visitors to a time of change, disruption, and technological development that bears a striking resemblance to our own today.
Renaissance Invention was commended by the 2019 Sotheby’s Prize for its innovation and curatorial excellence.
Renaissance Invention was supported by Mr. and Mrs. Edward M. Blair, Jr., Dr. Christine M. Sperling, Pam and Doug Walter, and an anonymous donor. Support for related public programs is provided by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation.
Digital Resources
- Renaissance Invention: Stradanus’s “Nova Reperta” - Three Chicago based scholar-practitioners examine the major agents of change in the Renaissance.
- Newberry Live: Curator Tour of “Renaissance Invention” - In this tour of "Renaissance Invention"—live from the Newberry's exhibition galleries—curators Lia Markey and Suzanne Karr Schmidt showcase the cutting-edge tech of 16th-century Europe.
- The Art of Renaissance Warfare - The Newberry’s Suzanne Karr Schmidt and the Art Institute of Chicago’s Jonathan Tavares discuss the impact of military technology in the Renaissance in this event that was part of programming for the exhibition.
- Astrolabes and Armillary Spheres: Scientific Instruments and Prints in the Renaiisance - In this virtual conversation part of programming for the exhibition, Renaissance print scholar Susan Dackerman (Stanford University) and historian of science Pedro Raposo (Adler Planetarium) discuss the workings of early modern scientific instruments and their depiction on paper.