FEATURED

Castles, Crowns, and the Enlightenment: Identity, Power, and Ideas in Scotland and England Exhibit is now on display on the 3rd floor of Coe Library outside of Emmett D. Chisum Special Collections. The exhibit is up through Thurs., August 31.

Utilizing Scotland and England as a setting and construct, this study abroad adventure involved meaningful discussion of Enlightenment philosophy, visual art, and architecture. Earlier monuments, such as the Tower of London, as emblems of power and authority, were explored to contextualize the history of this region. In Edinburgh, visits to the Georgian House Museum and the National Portrait Gallery prompted consideration of the plasticity of identity in 18th-century portraiture. Participants also stayed at Abbotsford in the bucolic Lowlands to further understand Sir Walter Scott as an agent of change in Scottish history. In London, lavish palaces, Enlightenment-era homes, and museums facilitated further engagement in this potent time period.

Photo credits: ART 4975 course participants Ellie Warkentin and Jade Ware, 2023