The Wunderkammer, or "cabinet of curiosities," saw collectors gathering
objects from many strands of artistic, scientific, and intellectual
endeavor, in an ambitious attempt to encompass all of humankind's
knowledge in a single room.
From the Grand Duke Francesco I de' Medici and Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf
II to Archduke Ferdinand II of Habsburg, these aristocratic virtuosos
acquired, selected, and displayed the objects in real-life catalogues
that represented the entire world--spanning architecture, interior
design, painting, sculpture, gemology, geology, botany, biology and
taxonomy, astrology, alchemy, anthropology, ethnography, and history.
Marvel at the unicorn horns (narwhal tusks), gems, rare coral growths,
Murano glasswork, paintings and peculiar mechanical automata. Browse
through illustrations of exotic and mythical creatures and discover the
famed "Coburg ivories," an astounding collection of crafted artifacts.
These collections are nothing short of a journey through time, from the
Renaissance and Age of Discovery, the Mannerist and Baroque periods, up
to the present day. Although many of these cabinets of curiosities no
longer exist, others have been meticulously reconstructed, and new ones
born.
These marvelous cabinets of curiosities can now be explored by all in
this XXL collection. To realize this mammoth undertaking, Massimo Listri
traveled to seven European countries over several decades; the result is
a set of gorgeous photographs, an authoritative yet accessible
introduction, and detailed commentary on each of the 19 chambers
highlighting the most remarkable items in each collection. Discover how
these timeless treasures both describe and defined civilization, the
modern concept of the museum, and our very knowledge of the universe.
