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61st Annual Meeting of the Renaissance Society of America (RSA), Berlin, March 26-28, 2015 Call for Papers for the sessions: Material Culture of the Mines in Early Modern Europe Deadline: June 5, 2014 Organizers: Tina Asmussen (University of Basel, History Department), Henrike Haug (Technische Universität Berlin, Art History), Lisa Skogh (Victoria and Albert Museum) During the Early Modern Period mining was among the most important driving forces of early modern economy in central Europe which had a large effect on material culture and the perception and validation of metallic ores. The wealth of the Electors from Saxony, Brunswick and Habsburg came from the extraction of mineral resources and from activities associated with chemical and metallurgical undertakings such as smelting, metal-working, dyeing, glass-making and minting. Several cities in mining regions like for example Freiberg and Annaberg in Saxony or Jáchymov in Bohemia reached impressive dimensions and became not only important places of economic fertility but also centers of scientific innovation and artistic production, virtuosity and display. The aim of our sessions is to have a closer look at sites of metal production, of metallurgical processes, patronage and of artistic craftsmanship. Knowledge about formation and composition of metallic ores as well as about processes and techniques, which were necessary to handle with these materials and objects, brought together a heterogeneous group of people. The material and epistemic culture of the mines open up a “trading zone” where learned, elite and craftsmen convene. Proceeding from recent studies on the circulation of objects, knowledge and practices we are particularly interested in contributions on the interactions of multiple actors with materials and objects and their exchanges upon political, technological, scientific, material and representative aspects of mining. Of specific interest for this session are “sites” such as alchemical laboratories, goldsmith workshops, mints or mineral collections and curiosity cabinets. They serve as important platforms of mining and metal production were disparate cultures, practices and knowledge assemble. Interested participants should send proposals, of no more than 150 words, keywords, and a one-page CV, no longer than 300 words to Tina Asmussen, University of Basel [log in to unmask] by 5 June the latest. New research on Piero di Cosimo Deadline: June 9, 2014 In 2015 an exhibition on Piero di Cosimo will open at the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C and, later in the year, at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. To mark the occasion of this retrospective of the artist, the panel invites papers that explore new venues of research on Piero di Cosimo. Paper topics include, but are not limited to: - Piero’s artistry and creativity - workshop practice and collaboration - patronage - legacy Please send your paper title, abstract (150-word maximum), curriculum vitae (300-word maximum), and keywords to Irene Mariani ([log in to unmask]) by June 9 the latest. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~