Sri Lanka (Trapponee) (detail), from Livre des merveilles du monde (Book of the Marvels of the World), about 1460–1465, Master of the Geneva Boccaccio. Colored washes, gold, and ink. Getty Museum
Art Break: An Armchair Traveler's Guide to the Medieval World
Friday, July 12, 2024, at 12 pm
ONLINE ONLY
Free | Advance sign-up required
Giant snails, dog-headed men, and ferocious dragons are just some of the marvels that appear in medieval accounts of locales far from Europe. In the Middle Ages, when long-distance travel was uncommon, many relied on stories found in manuscripts for both information and entertainment. Focusing on the written and illustrated legends of travelers ranging from Alexander the Great to Marco Polo, curator Elizabeth Morrison and scholar Mark Cruse discuss accounts of distant places that were often based on a mixture of facts, ancient folklore, and fantastic tales. Morrison and Cruse examine how looking at the world through its marvels can be revelatory for understanding society both in the Middle Ages and today.
Complements the exhibition The Book of Marvels: Wonder and Fear in the Middle Ages on view from June 11–August 25, 2024.
SPEAKERS
Elizabeth Morrison is senior curator of manuscripts at the J. Paul Getty Museum. She is the co-curator of The Book of Marvels: Wonder and Fear in the Middle Ages.
Mark Cruse is associate professor of French at Arizona State University. His research focuses on the relationship between writing, performance, travel, and material culture in the Eurasian Middle Ages.