The Museum of the Senses: Experiencing Art and Collections (Sensory Studies Series)

I have spent many years researching and writing this book, and along the way I have received invaluable support from numerous individuals and institutions. My family has been tremendously encouraging and helpful, as always. Special thanks are due to my daughter, who provided very competent editorial assistance. David Howes served as the guardian angel of the book from start to finish. I am also grateful to colleagues in the fields of history, art history and museum studies who have been strong supporters of my project. Fellow 'historians of the senses' Richard Newhauser, Herman Roodenberg and Mark M. Smith have been generous with their encouragement. Caro Verbeek provided intriguing scent experiences and information on olfactory art history. Fiona Candlin, an indefatigable researcher into the social and sensory life of museums and objects, has been an important source of advice on things museological. I have been fortunate to participate as a researcher on several of Chris Salter's innovative new media art projects. Rebecca McGinnis of the Metropolitan Museum of Art raised my awareness about nonvisual modes of art interpretation. Martina Bagnoli, director of the Galleria Estense in Modena, has done a marvellous job of showing how the sensorial histories in which I and others have been engaged need not remain a matter of words only, but can help shape the ways in which historical artworks and artefacts are exhibited. I appreciate the invitation from the Tinguely Museum in Basel to participate in their lecture series on the senses in art, along with the work done by Lisa Ahlers of the museum in preparing my paper for publication in the resulting anthology, Prière de toucher. The Touch of Art: Interdisciplinary Symposium (Verlag Bibliothek der Provinz, 2017). This paper, entitled 'Sacred Art and the Pilgrim's Touch', forms part of Chapter 2 of the current book. Another publication of mine, 'Touching the Deep Past' (The Senses & Society [2014] 9, 3), was incorporated into Chapter 3. At Bloomsbury, I greatly benefitted from the aid and support of Jennifer Schmidt and Clara Herberg. The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada funded my investigations into the sensory history of the museum with several major research grants. I would also like to acknowledge the assistance of the Fonds de recherche du Québec. The Canadian Centre for Architecture, under the directorship of Mirko Zardini, supported my work on William Beckford and Fonthill Abbey. Marcelo Wanderley and CIRMMT at McGill University provided me with a stimulating environment for exploring the historical roots of multimedia art. The Toledo Museum of Art (TMA) was a generous supporter of my research on the senses in the museum. At the TMA, the director, Brian Kennedy; associate director, Adam Levine; and director of education and engagement, Michael Deetsch provided important insights into the inner workings of a multifaceted institution, and also demonstrated a hearty enthusiasm for expanding the sensory offerings of museums. Halona Norton-Westbrook, associate curator of contemporary art, offered a knowledgeable commentary on the exhibits, and other members of the museum personnel likewise shared their time and expertise with me. Finally, the Centre for Sensory Studies at Concordia University provided muchappreciated aid in covering the costs of permissions for the illustrations which appear here, while Ornella Hemmingway proved a capable research assistant on the subject of the senses in contemporary museums. Traditionally Sight Has Been The Only Sense With A Ticket To Enter The Museum. The Same Is True Of Histories Of Art, In Which Artworks Are Often Presented As Purely Visual Objects. The Museum Of The Senses Offers A Sensory History Of Art And Collections, Revealing How People Used To Handle, Smell And Even Taste Artworks And Artefacts. Topics Range From The Tactile Power Of Relics To The Sensuous Allure Of Cabinets Of Curiosities, And From The Feel Of A Rembrandt To The Scent Of Monet's Garden. The Book Concludes With A Discussion Of How Contemporary Museums Are Stimulating The Senses Through Interactive And Multimedia Displays. Constance Classen, A Leading Authority On The Cultural History Of The Senses, Has Produced A Fascinating Study Of Sensual And Emotional Responses To Artefacts From The Middle Ages To The Present. The Museum Of The Senses Is An Important Read For Anyone Interested In The History Of Art As Well As For Students And Researchers In Cultural Studies And Museum Studies-- Machine Generated Contents Note: -- 1. The Cabinet Of The Senses -- 2. The Feel Of A Leonardo -- 3. The Lure Of The Mummy -- 4. The Silence Of The Dodo -- 5. The Scent Of Monet's Garden -- 6. The Museum Retouched. Constance Classen. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Traditionally sight has been the only sense with a ticket to enter the museum. The same is true of histories of art, in which artworks are often presented as purely visual objects. In The Museum of the Senses Constance Classen offers a new way of approaching the history of art through the senses, revealing how people used to handle, smell and even taste collection pieces. Topics range from the tactile power of relics to the sensuous allure of cabinets of curiosities, and from the feel of a Rembrandt to the scent of Monet's garden. The book concludes with a discussion of how contemporary museums are stimulating the senses through interactive and multimedia displays. Classen, a leading authority on the cultural history of the senses, has produced a fascinating study of sensual and emotional responses to artefacts from the middle ages to the present. The Museum of the Senses is an important read for anyone interested in the history of art as well as for students and researchers in cultural studies and museum studies. "Traditionally sight has been the only sense with a ticket to enter the museum. The same is true of histories of art, in which artworks are often presented as purely visual objects. The Museum of the Senses offers a sensory history of art and collections, revealing how people used to handle, smell and even taste artworks and artefacts. Topics range from the tactile power of relics to the sensuous allure of cabinets of curiosities, and from the feel of a Rembrandt to the scent of Monet's garden. The book concludes with a discussion of how contemporary museums are stimulating the senses through interactive and multimedia displays. Constance Classen, a leading authority on the cultural history of the senses, has produced a fascinating study of sensual and emotional responses to artefacts from the middle ages to the present. The Museum of the Senses is an important read for anyone interested in the history of art as well as for students and researchers in cultural studies and museum studies"-- Provided by publisher Cover Contents List of Figures Acknowledgements Introduction 1 A Taste of Heaven: Relics and Rarities 2 The Feel of a Rembrandt: Paintings and Sculptures 3 The Lure of the Unseen: Egyptian Mummies 4 Conversation Pieces: The Arundel Collection 5 A Trail of Scent: The Afterlife of Collections 6 The Museum Retouched: From Empire of Sight to Sensory Playground References Index