Wunderkammer: History and Legacy of Cabinets of Curiosities
A Wunderkammer, or cabinet of curiosities, blends art with science, originating in 16th-century Northern Europe. Noteworthy collections include those of Rudolf II in Prague, Emperor Ferdinand II at Schloss Ambras, and King Augustus III of Poland. These collections were divided into categories such as Naturalia, Artificialia, Exotica, and Scientifica. The first illustration of a natural history cabinet appears in Ferrante Imperato's book from 1599. Ulisse Aldrovandi's collection is housed at the Museum of Palazzo Poggi. In Italy, these cabinets were referred to as stanzino or studiolo, with Francesco I de' Medici's studiolo in Florence being particularly impressive. Peter the Great founded the Kunstkamera in 1718, while Sir John Soane's collection laid the groundwork for the British Museum. A modern example is Maurizio Cattelan's installation at the Guggenheim in 2007.
Key facts
- Cabinets of curiosities spread through Northern Europe in the 16th century.
- Collections were divided into Naturalia, Artificialia, Exotica, and Scientifica.
- Ferrante Imperato's 1599 book contains the earliest illustration of a natural history cabinet.
- Ulisse Aldrovandi's collection is preserved at the Museum of Palazzo Poggi in Bologna.
- Rudolf II's Kunstkammer in Prague was plundered by Swedish troops in 1648.
- Peter the Great established the Kunstkamera in 1718, now the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography.
- Sir John Soane's collection formed the foundation of the British Museum.
- Maurizio Cattelan's 2007 installation 'All' at the Guggenheim Museum was inspired by Wunderkammer.
Entities
Artists
- Rudolf II
- Ferdinand II
- Augustus III
- Ferrante Imperato
- Ulisse Aldrovandi
- Giorgio Vasari
- Francesco I de' Medici
- Gian Giacomo Poldi Pezzoli
- Ole Worm
- Athanasius Kircher
- Peter the Great
- Frederick Ruysch
- Sir John Soane
- John Tradescant the Elder
- John Tradescant the Younger
- Elias Ashmole
- Maurizio Cattelan
- Marcel Duchamp
- Wendy Aikin
- Joseph Cornell
- Giuseppe Tornatore
- Geoffrey Rush
- David Teniers the Younger
- Jan Bruegel
- Peter Paul Rubens
- Lucas Cranach the Elder
- Frans Francken the Younger
- Domenico Remps
- Johan Zoffany
Institutions
- Schloss Ambras
- Museum of Palazzo Poggi
- Palazzo Vecchio
- Museo Poldi Pezzoli
- Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
- British Museum
- Ashmolean Museum
- Oxford University Museum of Natural History
- Kunsthistorisches Museum
- Museo del Prado
- John and Mable Ringling Museum
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Naturhistorisches Museum
- Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography
- Peggy Guggenheim Collection
- Biblioteca Universitaria di Bologna
- Royal Collection
- Kunstkammer
- Tradescant's Ark
- Our Lady of the Graces church
Locations
- Prague
- Czech Republic
- Innsbruck
- Austria
- Naples
- Italy
- Bologna
- Florence
- Milan
- Vienna
- Madrid
- Spain
- Sarasota
- Florida
- USA
- New York
- London
- UK
- Oxford
- Mantova
- Saint Petersburg
- Russia
- Brussels
- Belgium