Imagine a world without telephones, TVs, mp3 players, computers, and phones. How would you entertain your guests after dinner without the aid of any of these devices? Cabinets of curiosities were the aristocrat’s answer for those who sought to enliven the opulent but dimly lit parties thrown during the Italian Renaissance. They ranged in size, from as small as a dedicated piece of furniture with multiple drawers or could stretch to the size of an entire room. Drawers and shelves housed original objects acquired through long journeys to faraway lands. Every object offered an opportunity to tell a story about an epic adventure or, more often, to fabricate one. Like everyone else, the wealthy liked to define their personalities through the possession of glamorous objects as tangible tokens of their intelligence, erudition, wealth, and taste.
This is the first of two videos exploring the current revival of cabinets of curiosities in art and culture.