“Courts and Their Records in Scotland, From the Earliest Times to the Present Day”
SRA Conference 2017: The Annual Conference of the Scottish Records Association
New Register House, Edinburgh
10 November 2017

This one day conference will explore the subject of court records in Scotland. We welcome proposals for twenty – minute papers focused on courts, their processes of recording and record production, and legal records in Scotland. Papers can cover any aspect of the topic on any period, although we are seeking broad overall chronological coverage combined with a close focus on the records themselves in individual papers: what survives, where and when does it survive from, the processes behind record keeping and how these factors affect research today.

Proposals from scholars at any stage in their career addressing the following themes are especially welcome:

• The central civil and criminal courts – the Session, the Justiciary Court, Justice Ayres
• Local courts – burgh courts, sheriff courts
• Military Courts, the Admiralty and police courts
• Ecclesiastical courts (pre and post Reformation) and other religious courts
• Legal Registers – deeds, testaments, sasines, and the land registry
• Heraldic courts
• Large-scale projects (completed, ongoing, planned) related to the digitisation or editing of court
  and legal records

Please send abstracts of 200-400 words, with a brief biography and (if applicable) current institutional affiliation and status to sraconference2017@gmail.com by Sunday 20 August, 2017.

The conference fee will be waived for speakers and small bursaries towards travel costs may be available for postgraduate speakers. If you are a postgraduate student and would like to be considered for support please indicate this on your application, although funds are very limited.

The Art of the Poor in the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance
A conference at The Warburg Institute, London
14–15 June, 2018

Organised by Dr Rembrandt Duits

The art history of the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance has generally been written as a story of elites: bankers, noblemen, kings, cardinals, and popes and their artistic interests and commissions. Recent decades have seen attempts to recast the story in terms of material culture and include a wider range of objects than are discussed in the traditional surveys of painting, sculpture and architecture, but the focus has not fundamentally shifted away from the upper strata of society. One otherwise excellent publication following this new approach even states confidently that ‘there was no such thing as poor man’s art in the Renaissance.’

There are, however, countless modest images, decorated objects and buildings across Europe that belie this notion, from lead and tin pilgrims’ badges in the Museum of London to frescoed churches commissioned by village communities during the Venetian period on Crete. These works of art were made for the more than 95% of the population who were economically less privileged: peasants, unskilled and skilled workers in the building and manufacturing industries, small-time artisans. They are works that tend not to enter the major art museums and exhibitions of the western world, or feature prominently in tourist guide books; they can be found in museums of urban history and archaeology and the closest they come to mingling with ‘real’ art is in shows with an anthropological approach, such as ‘the art of devotion.’ If they are discussed in artistic terms at all, these are often negative: ‘coarse’; ‘crude’; ‘primitive’; or ‘provincial’. There is also a common assumption that such objects did not have artistic traditions of their own but were always derived from the shining examples made by famous artists for the rich.

This conference aims to challenge these perceptions. For the first time, ‘the art of the poor’ will be given centre stage. Through a variety of case studies, objects, their functions and manufacturing traditions will be re-evaluated and established aesthetic judgements and tacit assumptions in scholarship re-examined. The conference will seek to give impetus to a new field combining the expertise of urban archaeologists, historians, historical anthropologists, and art historians. This field, different from general studies of material culture in that its principal object is ‘art’, can help us re-assess the very concept of ‘art’ and its function in society, neither of which can be understood properly without taking into account the broadest range of artistic activity. Topics for papers may include, but are not limited to:

• Art forms made for people with lower incomes, e.g. decorations of village and small parish churches, pilgrims’ souvenirs, woodcuts, decorated ceramics, drinking glasses, textiles, costume, modest paintings and sculptures
• The iconography of images for the poor
• The ‘art market’ of the poor, including manufacturing traditions, vending of artefacts, (collective) commissions, second-hand retail
• Relevant aspects of social history, e.g. income levels and purchasing power, records of transactions or possessions, anecdotal evidence from literary sources, visual evidence from paintings, manuscript illuminations and other images
• Relations between the art of the poor and more upmarket artistic manufacture
• The historiography (or lack of it) of the art of the poor
• Relevant finds in urban archaeology, relevant aspects of museum collections

Papers by early career scholars are particularly welcome. The aim is for the conference proceedings to be published. Papers are restricted to 25 mins. Please send a short abstract and a brief CV to rembrandt.duits@sas.ac.uk by 28 July, 2017.

Call for Papers: The Animal in Medieval Romance, at the 53rd International Congress on Medieval Studies (2018)

The ‘animal turn’ is one of the newest and most exciting developments in medieval scholarship. Researchers are increasingly interrogating the role of animals in society and culture, the interaction between human and beast, and the formation of human and non-human identities.

The Medieval Romance Society is hosting two inter-related sessions on the role of animals in romances at the 53rd International Congress on Medieval Studies 2018, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo. We welcome papers which draw on a broad range of methodologies and address a variety of themes relating to animals.

Session I: The Animal in Medieval Romance I: The Animal as Friend
This session invites papers examining the co-dependent relationships between animals and humans in romances. We encourage a broad interpretation of this theme, including cross-species friendships, sexual and romantic couplings, domestication and farmyard animals, and animals as parental surrogates.

Session II: The Animal in Medieval Romance II: The Animal as Product
This session welcomes papers which examine how animal bodies are exploited in medieval romances. Even after death, animals continue to exert their presence in romance narrative through their earthly remains. The genre’s commodification of bestial bodies also extends beyond texts to the physical product of vellum upon which they are transmitted. Papers might explore themes of butchery, the wearing of skins and furs, the use of bone and ivory, and the production of parchment and manuscript-binding.

Please send abstracts of 250-300 words to Tim Wingard at tw659@york.ac.uk by 15th September, 2017. For more information, visit: medievalromanceanimal.wordpress.com.

Against Conventions: Uncommon Social Roles of Women and Men from Early Modern Times to 1945
Historical Institute of the University of Wroclaw
30 November – 1 December, 2017

Conference Website

The Historical Institute of the University of Wroclaw hereby invites scholars and PhD students to join us for the international conference: Against Conventions. Uncommon Social Roles of Women and Men from Early Modern Times to 1945 to be held in Wroclaw, November 30th – December 1st, 2017. The organizers propose to use tools which the category of gender gives in humanistic and social studies. However, we would like to overcome present tendencies to separate studies related to women or men. We hope that during the meeting it will be possible to capture mechanisms occurred while undertaking tasks which were contrary to social norms from both „feminine”, and „masculine” perspectives. We are aware that definitely more women struggled with social boundaries. Nevertheless, we consider the reflection on men’s experience, who also faced such challenges, as equally important.

We encourage experienced researchers, young scholars, as well as PhD students to focus on the following issues:

A) METHODOLOGY-CURRENT STATE OF RESEARCH-PERSPECTIVES:

• methodology of gender studies,
• difficulties and obstacles in studies on social roles,
• current state of research regarding social roles,
• new themes and research perspectives;

B) ACTIONS AND MOTIVATIONS:

• uncommon actions taken by women/men,
• circumstances under which one might/was forced to play an untypical role, traditionally assigned to the opposite sex,
• motivation to act against the formulaic schemes,
• strategies for action,
• factors determining success/defeat;

C) CONCEQUENCES:

• behavior and emotions of people who were undertaking activities characteristic for the opposite sex,
• “import” of attitudes resulted from traditional tasks in family and society to “new” roles,
• reproducing models of behavior characteristic for the opposite sex,
  attitudes of people performing typical roles towards these women or men who were taking actions against the conventions,
• mechanisms related to crossing the boundaries from comparative perspective (in different countries and cultures)

D) BELIEFS AND PERCEPTIONS:

• division into „feminine” and „masculine” roles and changes in their perception,
• attitudes towards women/men acting differently to adopted standards; consequences of the progressive emancipation of women,
• characteristic of groups and individuals who tried to combat stereotypical thinking about roles of women and men in society: their strategies, motivation and results of actions,
• who, for what purpose, by what methods and with what result tried to retain status quo in division into “feminine” and “masculine” social roles.

The aforementioned issues indicate the main directions of discussion, nonetheless we encourage to submit other proposals related to the main theme of the conference.

Your proposal should be submitted by August 30, 2017 via the registration form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdy6Z3Ny5jBuVLrMXbAEcfGvfZ2TahgmobFTjM-DFETW5a8BQ/viewform

The Communities and Margins of Early Modern Scotland
St. Mungo’s Museum, Glasgow
20-21 October, 2017

Our aim is to provide a space for postgraduates, early career researchers, and academics to come together and facilitate lively discussion on narratives surrounding the concept of the ‘community’ and those who participated on the margins of early modern Scotland.

Possible themes may include, but are not limited to:

• Gender relations and social stratification
• Religious and political communities
• Textual communities; scholars, poets, playwrights, book-sellers
• Gaelic culture within and outwith the Highlands
• Crime, conflict and cohesion within the community
• Minority communities; the ‘othering’ of marginal sects
• Scots on the periphery and abroad; identity formation

We welcome proposals for both 20 minute papers, and for panels consisting of no more than three papers. Abstracts of 300 words along with a brief biographical note should be sent to ‘scottishstudies2017@gmail.com’ by Friday 28 July, 2017.

Papers can be delivered in English, Scots or Scottish Gaelic. A limited number of travel bursaries will be made available.

New Directions in the Study of Medieval Sculpture
Henry Moore Institute, Leeds
16–17 March, 2018

Focusing on the materiality of medieval sculpture has proven crucial to its study and has expanded our historical understanding of sculpture itself. Whether monumental relief sculpture in stone, wooden sculptures in the round, sculpted altarpieces, ivory plaques or enamelled reliquaries, the possibilities for research on medieval sculpture now extend far beyond the established canon.

Contemporary medieval sculpture studies have opened the field to comparative and inclusive research that embraces the social, performative, gendered and ritual uses of medieval sculpture. These developments have inspired the organisers of the conference New Directions in the Study of Medieval Sculpture to reflect on the field and ask how do we investigate medieval sculpture today and what might come ‘after’ materiality?

This two-day conference seeks to assess and critique the state of the field on medieval sculpture and to investigate new directions, approaches and technologies for research. A consideration of the state of the field could be approached through, but is not limited to, the following topics:

• Processes and techniques of medieval sculpture
• The sensory experience of medieval sculpture
• The ephemeral and intangible aspects of medieval sculpture
• Medieval sculpture, photography and digital reproduction
• Archives, casts and reconstructing medieval sculpture
• Sculpture and medievalism
• Historiography of medieval sculpture studies
• Exhibition histories of medieval sculpture

This conference is hosted by the Henry Moore Institute, a centre for the study of sculpture, and is convened by Dr Elisa Foster, 2016-18 Henry Moore Foundation Post-doctoral Fellow.

Accommodation and reasonable travel expenses within the UK will be reimbursed.

Paper proposals should be sent via email to Dr Elisa Foster: elisa.foster@henry-moore.org by 30 September, 2017.

Grief and Consolation
IAS/UWA Classics and Ancient History/CHE Symposium
Institute of Advanced Studies, The University of Western Australia
15 September, 2017

More info: http://www.historyofemotions.org.au/events/grief-and-consolation
Submissions Deadline: 1 August, 2017
Submissions: Send to Lara O’Sullivan (lara.osullivan@uwa.edu.au)

Grief, particularly the grief associated with bereavement, has been a constant companion of humanity throughout the ages. But how are we best to deal with grief? Traditional rituals have had a part to play, but consolation for grief has also been sought through intellectual processes: through awareness and (self-) analysis of the emotional and cognitive responses to grief, and through the articulation of grief in language, music and the arts.

Held under the joint aegis of the Institute of Advanced Studies UWA, the Discipline of Classics and Ancient History at UWA, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for the History of the Emotions, this interdisciplinary colloquium proposes a broad exploration of grief, and of the strategies employed in the consolation grief across time and culture. Papers (of c. 20 minutes’ duration) are invited to engage with this theme, whether literary, musical, philosophical, medical or other perspectives.

The special guest at the colloquium will be Professor Han Baltussen, the Walter Watson Hughes Professor Classics at the University of Adelaide. Professor Baltussen will be visiting UWA in September as an IAS Visiting Professor; while in Perth, he will be working on his current project, which traces the emergence of the conscious treatment of grief in ancient Greek oratory, philosophy and medicine.

Othello’s Island 2018
Nicosia, Cyprus
25-27 March, 2018

The 6th annual interdisciplinary conference on Byzantine, Medieval, Renaissance and Early Modern art, literary, archaeological, historical and cultural studies.

Keynote Lecture 2018: “Donor Portraits in Byzantine Art”, to be presented by Professor Henri Frances (American University of Beirut)

The Academic Board for Othello’s Island invites applications to present papers at the 6th edition of Othello’s Island. This will take place in Nicosia, Cyprus, in March 2018.

We are interested in hearing papers on diverse aspects of Byzantine, Medieval, Renaissance and early modern art, literature, history, society and other aspects of culture.

Our remit is broad, and so papers do not have to be related to Shakespeare, Cyprus or the Mediterranean. It is worth looking at the range of papers from past conferences to see that previous speakers have covered topics ranging from slavery in medieval Cyprus and Malta, to the impact of Italian Renaissance art on Cypriot Byzantine painting, and even discussion on the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf.

In the six years of its existence, Othello’s Island has developed a reputation as one of the most liberal-minded and friendly medieval and renaissance studies conferences in the world today, and it is also genuinely interdisciplinary. In part this is due to the relatively small size of the event, which generates a true sense of community during the conference.

Our location in Cyprus allows for visits to some stunning medieval museums and other sites, including the French gothic cathedrals of St Sophia in Nicosia, and St Nicholas in Famagusta, and we are housed in the centre of the medieval old town of Nicosia, with its narrow winding streets and impressive city walls and gate houses.

Deadline for submissions is 22 December, 2017.

For the full call for papers please visit www.othellosisland.org

Lead Academic Co-ordinators: Prof. James Fitzmaurice (Northern Arizona University, USA); Prof. Lisa Hopkins (Sheffield Hallam University, UK); Dr Sarah James (University of Kent, UK; Dr Michael Paraskos FRSA (Imperial College London, UK)

Academic Board: Dr Stella Achillaos (University of Cyprus, Cyprus); Jane Chick (University of East Anglia, UK); Prof. James Fitzmaurice (Northern Arizona University, USA); Prof. Lisa Hopkins (Sheffield Hallam University, UK); Dr Sarah James (University of Kent, UK); Dr Richard Maguire (University of East Anglia, UK); Dr Michael Paraskos (Imperial College London, UK); Dr Laurence Publicover (University of Bristol, UK); Prof. David Rollo (University of Southern California, USA); Dr Rita Severis (CVAR, Cyprus); Prof. Astrid Swenson (Bath Spa University, UK); and, Dr Violetta Trofimova (St Petersburg University, Russia)

21st Biennial New College Conference on Medieval & Renaissance Studies
New College of Florida, Sarasota, Florida
8–10 March, 2018

The twenty-first biennial New College Conference on Medieval & Renaissance Studies will take place 8–10 March 2018 in Sarasota, Florida. The program committee invites 250-word abstracts of proposed twenty-minute papers on topics in European and Mediterranean history, literature, art, music and religion from the fourth to the seventeenth centuries. Interdisciplinary work is particularly appropriate to the conference’s broad historical and disciplinary scope. Planned sessions are also welcome. The deadline for all abstracts is 15 September, 2017; for submission guidelines or to submit an abstract, please go to http://www.newcollegeconference.org/cfp.

Junior scholars whose abstracts are accepted are encouraged to submit their papers for consideration for the Snyder Prize (named in honor of conference founder Lee Snyder), which carries an honorarium of $400. Further details are available at the conference website.

The Conference is held on the campus of New College of Florida, the honors college of the Florida state system. The college, located on Sarasota Bay, is adjacent to the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, which will offer tours arranged for conference participants. Sarasota is noted for its beautiful public beaches, theater, food, art and music. Average temperatures in March are a pleasant high of 77F (25C) and a low of 57F (14C).

More information will be posted on the conference website (http://www.newcollegeconference.org) as it becomes available, including plenary speakers, conference events, and area attractions. Please send any inquiries to info@newcollegeconference.org.

“Representing Infirmity: Diseased Bodies in Renaissance and Early Modern Italy”
Monash University Centre in Prato
December 13-15, 2017

Students currently enrolled in a Master’s or Doctoral program are invited to submit a project for “Representing Infirmity: Diseased Bodies in Renaissance and Early Modern Italy,” an international conference to be held at the Monash University Centre in Prato on December 13-15, 2017. The event is organized by John Henderson (Birkbeck, University of London and Monash University), a historian of medicine, Fredrika Jacobs (Virginia Commonwealth University) and Jonathan Nelson (Syracuse University in Florence), both historians of art, and Peter Howard (Monash University, Melbourne), a historian and Director of the Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies at Monash (Melbourne and Prato).

The conference will be the first to explore how diseased bodies were represented in Italy during the ‘long Renaissance,’ from the early 1400s through ca. 1650. Many individual studies by historians of art and the history of medicine address specific aspects of this subject, yet there has never been an attempt to define or explore the broader topic. Moreover, most studies interpret Renaissance images and texts through the lens of current under-tandings about disease. This conference avoids the pitfalls of retrospective diagnosis. Accordingly, proposed projects should look beyond the modern category of ‘disease’ to view ‘infirmity’ in Galenic humoural terms.

The event begins with a keynote lecture by John Henderson on December 13, followed by two days of papers by (in alphabetical order): Sheila Barker, Danielle Carrabino, Peter Howard, Fredrika Jacobs, Jenni Kuuliala, Jonathan Nelson, Diana Bullen Presciutti, Paolo Savoia, Michael Stolberg, and Evelyn Welch. For topics, see below.

Graduate students are invited to participate in the ‘poster session.’ Selection will begin on 15 August 2017. Grant recipients will produce a PDF for a poster that illustrates one aspect of how infirmity was represented in Renaissance Italy. The poster will be exhibited at the Monash Prato Centre, and an electronic version will be posted on the conference webpage. During the conference, students will give short presentations of their work. These junior colleagues are invited to all meals, and encouraged to participate in discussions; they may be invited to submit their paper for publication in the acts of the conference. Students will be provided with up to $500 for economy transportation, plus hotel and meals in Prato for the three-day event. Given the terms of this grant, priority will be given to US students and students in US programs, but all students are encouraged to apply.

Applicants must be currently enrolled in a Doctoral or a research-based Master’s program. Applications should be sent via email to Infirmity2017@gmail.com, and must include the following:

1. Academic Summary (university level only): a) name and address of current institution, b) title of program, c) short description of thesis (ca. 200 words), d) expected date of completion, e) name and address of advisor, and f) name and address of second academic or professional reference.
2. Professional Summary: a list of relevant work experience and/or publications.
3. Proposal: title, and short description (ca. 200 words).
4. Proposals should address one the following topics:
   • What infirmities are depicted in visual culture, in what context, why, and when?
   • How did the idea and representations of infirmities change over the 15th-17th centuries?
   • How, did awareness of new diseases in this period inform the visual representation of infirmity?
   • How did these representations change across media (altarpieces, sculptures, votive images, prints, book illustrations)?
   • What was the relationship between images and texts, principally medical, religious, and literary?
   • How and why did representations of infirmity differ in popular versus learned texts?

The Conference is organized by Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Monash University Prato, as part of the “Body in the City Arts Focus Research Program.”

Funding for graduate students is provided by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, administered through Syracuse University.