Art History Speaker Series: Dr. Maurice Saß on "Art and Violence: The Hunts of Peter Paul Rubens"

November 2, 2023 at 12:00 p.m. MT

Zoom: https://boisestate.zoom.us/j/94882318081

The Boise State Department of Art, Design and Visual Studies and the Visiting Artist and Scholar Program are pleased to present Dr. Maurice Saß, Professor of Art History at Alanus University of Arts and Social Sciences, Alfter, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany as part of their 2023-2024 Art History Speaker Series: “Extinction.”

Saß will present on “Art and Violence: The Hunts of Peter Paul Rubens.”

This lecture delves into the deep-seated connection between hunting and art, drawing from an ecocritical analysis of three works by Peter Paul Rubens: Landscape with Het Steen, the Munich Lion Hunt, and the oil sketch Hercules and the Nemean Lion. By cross-examining the act of killing animals with the mimetic depiction of nature, Saß identifies an overlooked parallel between the hunter and the artist. Both assert dominion over nature, portraying it as something to be harnessed and subdued—a theme decipherable both in visual representation and textual sources. In probing this early modern normalization and aestheticization of nature’s violent conquest, what insights can we gain for our current ecological challenges?

To participate, please utilize the Zoom link below:

https://boisestate.zoom.us/j/94882318081

This event is free and open to the public.

This event has been generously supported by funding from the Boise State School of the Arts.