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Making Marvels: Science and Splendor at the Courts of Europe

Koeppe, Wolfram, with contributions by Noam Andrews, Florian Thaddäus Bayer, Jens Ludwig Burk, Wolfram Dolz, Ana Matisse Donefer-Hickie, Karsten Gaulke, Michael Korey, Lothar Lambacher, Peter Plassmeyer, Paulus Rainer, Antje Scherner, Konrad Schlegel, Pamela H. Smith, and Dirk Syndram (2019)

This title is in print.

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Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History (5)
Exhibition
Making Marvels: Science and Splendor at the Courts of Europe
November 25, 2019–March 1, 2020.

Between 1550 and 1750, nearly every royal family in Europe assembled vast collections of valuable and entertaining objects. Such lavish public spending and display of precious metals was considered an expression of power. Many princes also believed that the possession of artistic and technological innovations conveyed status, and these objects were often prominently showcased in elaborate court entertainments, which were characteristic of the period.

Making Marvels will explore the complex ways in which the wondrous items collected by early modern European princes, and the contexts in which they were displayed, expressed these rulers' ability to govern. Approximately 170 objects—including clocks, automata, furniture, musical instruments, jewelry, paintings, sculptures, print media, and more—from both The Met collection and over fifty lenders worldwide will be featured. Visitors will discover marvelous innovations that engaged and delighted the senses of the past, much like twenty-first-century technology holds our attention today—through suspense, surprise, and dramatic transformations.