Cultures of Reading Early Modern Europe

This weekly seminar course offers an introduction to the cultural history of reading in early modern Europe. While case studies and readings are drawn from various European traditions, the case of the early modern Low Countries will be a recurrent focus, as this course is organized as part of the Queen Wilhemina Visiting Professorship of Dutch Studies.

Reading was an essential part of early modern culture, but also a highly flexible, instable form of communication. It could be done in many different ways, depending on a host of historical, social, and religious contexts. In the past three decades the ‘History of Reading’ has become a vibrant scholarly field, exploring historical theories, debates and practices. Historians of different backgrounds have developed challenging new approaches, highlighting a diversity of reading styles and at least as great a variety of research opportunities. New digital resources have vastly increased our access to relevant evidence.

During the seminars we will discuss and analyze primary and secondary sources from a variety of different historical and disciplinary perspectives, including classical and early modern humanist writings, as well as recent scholarship by social, cultural, intellectual, and book historians. The program includes two working visits to the Rare Book and Manuscript Library in Butler Library. All readings will be available in English.