Histories of Perspectives (Paris/online, 17-18 Oct 24)
Few essays in art history have garnered the enduring reputation of Erwin Panofsky's "Perspective as Symbolic Form", which continues to anchor and polarize studies on space and its representation. First published in 1927 in the Vorträge der Bibliothek Warburg, the text originated as a lecture delivered for the 1924-1925 academic program of the Kulturwissenschaftliche Bibliothek Warburg (KBW) in Hamburg. To mark the lecture's centenary, this international symposium seeks to expand our understanding of perspective—chronologically, geographically, methodologically, and technologically.
While Albertian and other single-focus perspectives have attracted most scholarly attention in art history, recent studies have increasingly explored debates on perspective in different media—including cinema and virtual reality—and forms of three-dimensional representation that project alternate worldviews. This comparative effort demonstrates that central-point perspective remains relatively marginal on a global scale. It also prompts a reassessment and expansion of the notion of “symbolic form,” as encouraged by Panofsky's methodology, in other words the exploration of histories of perspectives—both in the plural.
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The event is free and open to the public. Booking is not required, except for online attendance of the keynote. Only the keynote will be available online. Talks are in French except for those indicated by an asterisk * after their title, which are in English.
Sessions 1-3 & keynote (Thursday 17 and morning Friday 18)German Center for Art History ParisHôtel Lully – 45 rue des Petits Champs – 75001 Paris
Session 4 (afternoon Friday 18)
Centre Pompidou – Cinema 2 – Place Georges Pompidou – 75004 Paris________
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Thursday (17.10.24)
German Center for Art History Paris (Julius Meier-Graefe auditorium)
9:30-10:00 hWelcome and introduction *Peter Geimer (German Center for Art History Paris) & Pierre Von-Ow (French Academy in Rome – Villa Medici)
Session 1 I 10:05-12:15 h
“The Power of the Line in Albrecht Dürer’s “Vier Bücher von menschlicher Proportion” (1528)” *
Nicola Suthor (Yale University)
"On the Pain of Being Seen" *
Noam Andrews (Independent scholar)
"Perspective as a project: the case of Place Louis XV in Paris (1748-1753)"Étienne Jollet (Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne)
Session 2 I 14:00-16:10 h
"Sharing a point of view. Practical exercises with Nicolas de Cusa"Emmanuel Alloa (University of Fribourg)
"Ambivalent perspective. Damisch and Steinberg on Las Meninas"Jérémie Koering (University of Fribourg)
"Folding as Symbolic Form? On Touch and Perspective in Eighteenth-Century Britain" *
Pierre Von-Ow (French Academy in Rome – Villa Medici)
Keynote (in person and online) I 4:30 p.m.-6:00 p.m.
“Perspective and the Genealogy of Generative Artificial Intelligence” *
Antonio Somaini (Université Paris 3 Sorbonne Nouvelle/Institut universitaire de France/Harvard University, remote)
Registration link for online attendance: https://p1ps.fr/Perspective .
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Friday (18.10.24)
German Center for Art History Paris (Julius Meier-Graefe auditorium)
Session 3 I 9:30-12:00 h
“On the screen: perspective fiction”
Philippe-Alain Michaud (Centre Pompidou – Musée national d’art moderne)
"To cast a glance. Mirror, anamorphosis and relief in cinema"
Lydie Delahaye (University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne)
"Contradictory Perspectives and Cinematic Modernity"
Pierre Eugène (University of Picardy Jules Verne)
General Q&A
Session 4 I 2:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.
Centre Pompidou (Cinema 2)
"Picture, Screen: History of Perspective"Program curated by Enrico Camporesi & Philippe-Alain Michaud (Centre Pompidou – Musée national d'art moderne). Includes films by Ernie Gehr, David Haxton, and Hans Richter, among others.
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Organizers
Pierre Von-Ow (French Academy in Rome – Villa Medici)Étienne Jollet (University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne)Nicola Suthor (Yale University)
Contact
For any inquiries, please email: pierre.vonow@villamedici.it.
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