Book contents
- Visualizing Russia in Early Modern Europe
- Visualizing Russia in Early Modern Europe
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- List of Figures
- Preface
- Introduction
- Part I Encountering Russia Visually
- 1 Imagery in an Ocularcentric Century
- 2 Humanism Encounters Russia
- Part II Sigismund von Herberstein
- Part III The Muscovy Company Maps Eurasia
- Part IV Visuality Explodes
- Part V Adam Olearius
- Conclusion
- Bibliography
- Index
1 - Imagery in an Ocularcentric Century
from Part I - Encountering Russia Visually
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 31 August 2024
- Visualizing Russia in Early Modern Europe
- Visualizing Russia in Early Modern Europe
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- List of Figures
- Preface
- Introduction
- Part I Encountering Russia Visually
- 1 Imagery in an Ocularcentric Century
- 2 Humanism Encounters Russia
- Part II Sigismund von Herberstein
- Part III The Muscovy Company Maps Eurasia
- Part IV Visuality Explodes
- Part V Adam Olearius
- Conclusion
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
Chapter 1 explores why the sixteenth century was called “ocularcentric,” that is, how imagery came to be considered an authentic representation of truth. Contemporaries recognized a variety of kinds of imagery, some understood to be realistic representations, others as fabulous. It outlines the burgeoning of printed materials – books, maps, pamphlets – in the very first centuries after Gutenberg, focusing on early modern Europeans’ curiosity about describing their world, not only overseas discoveries but “chorographies” of European lands as well. All of this invited illustration, not always well regulated for accuracy. The chapter concludes by exploring how publishers designed early printed books and visual images.
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- Information
- Visualizing Russia in Early Modern Europe , pp. 17 - 38Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2024