THE CLARK'S RESEARCH AND ACADEMIC PROGRAM PRESENTS ROBERT STERLING CLARK PROFESSOR LECTURE

For Immediate Release

November 26, 2013

Williamstown, MA—Rebecca Zorach, Robert Sterling Clark Visiting Professor, Williams College Graduate Program in the History of Art, will present “Nature Imitates Nature: Paradoxes of Intention and Artifice in Early Modern Europe” on Tuesday, December 10 at 5:30 pm at the Clark’s Stone Hill Center. The lecture is free and open to the public.

In her lecture, Ms. Zorach’s will discuss a number of questions: Can images appearing in natural objects, especially rocks, be understood as the artistic production of Nature? This question puzzled Renaissance and Baroque artists and writers on art even as natural objects inspired them. What did the "imitation of nature" in Renaissance art mean if Nature was—"herself"—an artist? What does the comparison (or contrast, emulation, or struggle) of Art and Nature tell us about early modern definitions of Art? And if Nature created unintentional artworks, what of the intentions of artists?

About the Research and Academic Program (RAP)

The Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute offers an independent research and academic program designed to encourage fresh approaches to the understanding of objects and issues from a variety of periods and genres of art. Clark Conferences, Symposia, Lectures, Seminars, Colloquia, and Conversations focus on vital topics in the field, addressing questions that contribute to a broader public understanding of the role of visual art in culture. The Clark also awards visiting fellowships and cosponsors the Graduate Program in the History of Art with Williams College.

About the Clark

Set amidst 140 acres in the Berkshires, the Clark is one of the few major art museums that also serves as a leading international center for research and scholarship. The Clark presents public and education programs and organizes groundbreaking exhibitions that advance new scholarship. The Clark’s research and academic programs include an international fellowship program and conferences. Together with Williams College, the Clark sponsors one of the nation’s leading master’s programs in art history. The Clark is located at 225 South Street in Williamstown, Massachusetts. For more information, visit clarkart.edu or call 413 458 2303.

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