- University of Toronto, Canada
Harriet M Sonne de Torrens
University of Toronto, UTM Library & Dept. of Visual Studies, Department Member
- University of Toronto, Centre for Medieval Studies, Department Memberadd
- Visual Resource Collections for Research and Teaching, Profession of Academic Libarianship, Medieval Art, Baptismal Fonts, Scandianavian Medieval Art, Iconography, and 35 moreSpanish Romanesque, Liturgical Furnishings, Beauport Abbey, Brittany, France, Tuscany, Renaissance Florence, Medieval Germany, Medieval France, Romanesque Art, Medieval Scandinavia, Baptism, Female Sexuality, Sheela Na Gig, Sculpture, Altars, Medieval Spanish Art, Rabanus Maurus, Baptismal Theology, Premonstratensians, Late Medieval Libraries, Academic Libraries, Library Science, Medieval Sweden, 17th century France, 18th Century France, Unbaptized Children Burial, Medieval Liturgy, Academic Freedom, Medieval Brittany, Cistercians, Baltic Crusades, Crusader Art and Architecture, Digital Humanities, Humanities Computing (Digital Humanities), Manuscript Studies, and Medieval Studiesedit
- Research Website: https://bsi.dhn.utoronto.ca/ 2021 Awarded CAUT Academic Librarians' and Archivists' Distinguished S... moreResearch Website: https://bsi.dhn.utoronto.ca/
2021 Awarded CAUT Academic Librarians' and Archivists' Distinguished Service Award by the Canadian Association of University Teachers
2014-2015 OCUFA Academic Librarian Award
2005-2006 Awarded Post Doctoral Research Fellowship, Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies, University of Toronto
2004 Awarded the Leonard F. Boyle Dissertation Prize by the Canadian Society of Medievalists for Ph.D. Dissertation.
Fluent in Danish/English. Working knowledge of Swedish, Norwegian and Latin. Reading knowledge of German, Spanish and French.edit
This is the first comprehensive, interdisciplinary analysis to demonstrate that the representation of Infancy cycles on twelfth-and-thirteenth-century baptismal fonts was primarily a northern predilection in the Latin West directly... more
This is the first comprehensive, interdisciplinary analysis to demonstrate that the representation of Infancy cycles on twelfth-and-thirteenth-century baptismal fonts was primarily a northern predilection in the Latin West directly influenced by the contemporary military campaigns. The Infantia Christi Corpus, a collection of approximately one-hundred-and-fifty fonts, verifies how the Danish and Gotland workshops modified and augmented biblical history to reflect the prevailing crusader ideology and rhetoric that dominated life during the Valdemarian era in the Baltic region. The artisans constructed the pictorial programs according to the readings of the Mass for the feast days in the seasons of Advent, Christmas and Epiphanytide. The political ambitions of the northern leaders and the Church to create a Land of St. Peter in the Baltic region strategically influenced the integration of Holy Land motifs, warrior saints, militia Christi and martyrdom in the Infancy cycles to justify the escalating northern conquests.
Neither before nor after, in the history of baptismal fonts, have so many been ornamented with the Infancy cycle in elaborate pictorial programs. A brief revival of elaborate Infancy cycles occurs on the fourteenth and fifteenth century fonts commissioned for sites previously located in the Christian borderlands east of the Elbe River with the rise of the Baltic military orders and the advancement of the Church authority. This extraordinary study integrates theological, liturgical, historical and political developments, broadening our understanding of what constituted northern crusader art in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.
Neither before nor after, in the history of baptismal fonts, have so many been ornamented with the Infancy cycle in elaborate pictorial programs. A brief revival of elaborate Infancy cycles occurs on the fourteenth and fifteenth century fonts commissioned for sites previously located in the Christian borderlands east of the Elbe River with the rise of the Baltic military orders and the advancement of the Church authority. This extraordinary study integrates theological, liturgical, historical and political developments, broadening our understanding of what constituted northern crusader art in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.
Research Interests:
Contents: Introduction; Nel mio bel San Giovanni, fatti per loco de’ battezzatori: baptismal fonts in Tuscany, Nirit Ben-Aryeh Debby; The St John portal and baptistery at St Stephen's cathedral, Sens, Annabelle Martin; Reconsidering the... more
Contents: Introduction; Nel mio bel San Giovanni, fatti per loco de’ battezzatori: baptismal fonts in Tuscany, Nirit Ben-Aryeh Debby; The St John portal and baptistery at St Stephen's cathedral, Sens, Annabelle Martin; Reconsidering the date of the baptismal font in San Isidoro, León, Spain, Harriet M. Sonne de Torrens; The two fonts of the Florence baptistery and the evolution of the baptismal rite in Florence, ca. 1200-1500, Amy R. Bloch; ‘The heavens and all the powers therein’: the iconography of the font of All Saints, Gresford in its political context, Madeleine Gray; Festive vessels or everyday fonts? New considerations on the liturgical functions of medieval baptismal fonts in Germany, Silvia Schlegel; Chores, computation, and the Second Coming: calendar images and Romanesque baptismal fonts, Frances Altvater; Baptism and the interaction with supernatural creatures in medieval Europe, Jenni Kuuliala; Select bibliography; Index.
Research Interests:
This is a book review of Kersti Markus' important book, VISUAL CULTURE AND POLITICS IN THE BALTIC SEA 1100−1250. East Central
and Eastern Europe in the Middle Ages, 450–1450. Volume 63. Leiden
and Boston: Brill, 2020.
and Eastern Europe in the Middle Ages, 450–1450. Volume 63. Leiden
and Boston: Brill, 2020.
Research Interests:
This article traces the provenance of two late fifteenth-century Flemish painted panels depicting the Procession to Calvary and the Resurrection of Christ, which have been assembled in a nineteenth-century composite work known as the... more
This article traces the provenance of two late fifteenth-century Flemish painted panels depicting the Procession to Calvary and the Resurrection of Christ, which have been assembled in a nineteenth-century composite work known as the Paimpol Triptych from Beauport Abbey. A review of local, regional, and national documentation suggests that the two wings may have been painted by an artist with connections to the Hans Fleming studio in Bruges. An examination of the two wings compared to the Salvatori Mundi and the Triptych of the Resurrection by Hans Memling reveals striking similarities. Furthermore, the discovery of an ‘ermine tail’ with an upper fleur-de-lis motif and crown, a motif associated with Anne, Duchess of Brittany, and Queen of France, in the Resurrection scene raises intriguing questions about the works’ commission and patronage.
Research Interests: Flemish Painting, Altars, Flanders, musée du Louvre, Passion of Christ, and 12 moreHans Memling, Anne of Brittany, Beauport Abbey, Brittany, France, The Resurrection of Christ, Triptychs, Triptych of the Resurrection, Paimpol Triptych, Followers of Hans Memling, Paimpol, Joseph de Borchgrave d'Altena, Till-Holger Borchert, and Procession to Clavary
This article examines the representation of the Miracle of the Harvest, a rare pictorial motif on thirteenth century works, which was carved on four baptismal fonts by the Hegwald workshop operating on Gotland. The unique pictorial... more
This article examines the representation of the Miracle of the Harvest, a rare pictorial motif on thirteenth century works, which was carved on four baptismal fonts by the Hegwald workshop operating on Gotland. The unique pictorial representations of this legend on the Hegwald fonts indicates that the workshop was most likely operating around the year 1200 or in the early decades of the thirteenth century and not, as Johnny Roosval suggested in 1918-1925, in the late eleventh or early twelfth centuries. Central to the development of the Romanesque font industry on Gotland was the arrival of the monks from the Cistercian monasteries of Clairvaux and Cîteaux in France, to Alvastra, Nydala (both on the Swedish mainland) and to the Baltic island of Gotland in 1152/53-1164, where the Cistercians founded the monastery of Beata Maria de Gut-nalia (Roma). With these developments, a massive stone industry evolved across the North and introduced a major influx of French influences that impacted the numerous workshops producing baptismal fonts, including Hegwald's. A review of the tetradic scholarship concerning the Hegwald workshop, the subject of the Miracle of the Harvest , the known written and visual evidence, and the construction history of the parish churches, is integrated and analysed within the historical context of the twelfth-and-thirteenth-century Danish-French alliances that contributed to these Baltic developments during the Valdemarian dynasty (1157-1241).
Research Interests:
(in-press) edited collection of papers being published by Dr. Kirsten Lee Bierbaum and Prof. Dr. Susanne Wittekind at the Kunsthistorisches Institut der Universität zu Köln with Arthistoricum Art Books Press,... more
(in-press) edited collection of papers being published by Dr. Kirsten Lee Bierbaum and Prof. Dr. Susanne Wittekind at the Kunsthistorisches Institut der Universität zu Köln with Arthistoricum Art Books Press, https://books.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/arthistoricum
Research Interests:
Since 1823 the consecration date of 1129 for the Church of St. Boniface inscribed on the Freckenhorst baptismal font from the imperial convent of St. Boniface (Westphalia, Germany) has continued to be considered, by some, the date for... more
Since 1823 the consecration date of 1129 for the Church of St. Boniface inscribed on the Freckenhorst baptismal font from the imperial convent of St. Boniface (Westphalia, Germany) has continued to be considered, by some, the date for when the font was carved. For over two hundred years this precocious date has divided academic communities, despite the numerous and comprehensive counter arguments asserting that the font is a later twelfth century if not early thirteenth century vessel. This raises the question, “Why has there been such resistance to recognize this vessel as a later product of the prolific Westphalian stone industry?” This article reviews the historiography to uncover the roots of the ‘sanctified status’ that the Freckenhorst font acquired over the centuries from the post-Imperial period of Germany through the two World Wars. The literature reveals not only why the Freckenhorst font came to symbolize ‘Germanic ingenuity’ for German art historians but also the challenges and changes within the evolving discipline of art history and the scholarly networks that connected art historians in the first half of the twentieth century.
Research Interests: German Studies, Historiography (in Art History), Medieval Art, Baptismal Fonts, Erwin Panofsky, and 15 moreGotland, Merseburg, Freckenhorst, 19th Century German Art History, Stephan Beissel, Georg Pudelko, Johnny Roosval, Stefan Soltek, Georg Dehio, Franz von Reber, Karl Noehles, Karl Eduard Foerstemann, Wilhelm Dorow, Quedlinburg Abbey, and Externsteine
This chapter offers an overview of the representation of marriage through a selection of works which date from the Early Christian period to the fifteenth century. An assortment of pictorial compositions on a diverse range of works and... more
This chapter offers an overview of the representation of marriage through a selection of works which date from the Early Christian period to the fifteenth century. An assortment of pictorial compositions on a diverse range of works and media (manuscripts, liturgical vessels, paintings, metal artefacts and wedding gifts) are reviewed in relation to the changing perspectives on Christian marriages. A cross-selection of works from the Latin West and Byzantium, each with different functions, are presented chronologically in the following periods: Early Medieval, Romanesque and Gothic, and Late Medieval. Each period highlights the iconographic features which reflect the historical changes about the types of marriage (carnal, spiritual, symbolic, mystical), the laws associated with marital agreements (licit or irregular unions), ceremonial customs and the sacramental nature of what constituted a legal or illegal marriage in the eyes of the Church and families. Given the regional scope and the brevity of this chapter, this is a synopsis of the main pictorial developments in marital iconography, which have been identified from a growing, but often fragmented collection of scholarship on the subject.(1)
(1) This overview is by no means complete, for the topic of marriage in the history of art is an extensive, on-going area of research. In-depth analysis of the individual works are referenced for further reading.
(1) This overview is by no means complete, for the topic of marriage in the history of art is an extensive, on-going area of research. In-depth analysis of the individual works are referenced for further reading.
This study examines the extent to which librarians employed at Canadian universities have academic freedom protection with respect to the right and responsibility to engage in research and scholarship as part of their normal workload and... more
This study examines the extent to which librarians employed at Canadian universities have academic freedom protection with respect to the right and responsibility to engage in research and scholarship as part of their normal workload and the right to pursue unrestricted lines of inquiry in research and scholarship. An analysis of the terms and conditions of employment for Canadian academic librarians and the results of a nationwide survey reveal that the majority are protected by academic freedom in their contractual agreements. The findings also reveal that the inclusion of research and scholarship as part of normal workload is a challenge for many librarians, definitions for research and scholarship vary across institutions, and time constraints impede the ability of librarians to conduct research and scholarship.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
With a focus on Canada, but framed by similar and shared concerns emerging in the United States, this chapter examines the current status of what constitutes and defines academic freedom for academic librarians and the rights and the... more
With a focus on Canada, but framed by similar and shared concerns emerging in the United States, this chapter examines the current status of what constitutes and defines academic freedom for academic librarians and the rights and the protections individual, professional academic librarians have with respect to the freedom of speech and expression of their views in speech and writing within and outside of their institutions. It reviews the historical background of academic freedom and librarianship in Canada, academic freedom language in collective agreements, rights legislation in Canada versus the United States as it pertains to academic librarianship, and rights statements supported by Canadian associations in the library field and associations representing members in post-secondary institutions. The implications of academic librarians using the new communication technologies and social media platforms, such as blogs and networking sites, with respect to academic freedom are examined, as well as, an overview of recent attacks on the academic freedom of academic librarians in the United States and Canada. Included in this analysis are the results of a survey of Canadian academic librarians, which examined attitudes about academic freedom, the external and internal factors which have an impact academic freedom, and the professional use of new communication technologies and social media platforms.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This chapter is a historical account of a sequence of key events that took place in the 1960s and 1970s in the labour and professional history of academic librarianship at the University of Toronto (UofT). The events highlight two... more
This chapter is a historical account of a sequence of key events that took place in the 1960s and 1970s in the labour and professional history of academic librarianship at the University of Toronto (UofT). The events highlight two synchronic developments: the changing scope of what constituted academic librarianship and the quest for professional autonomy and recognition. Of all the events discussed, one in particular, marked a turning point for librarians: the audacious Reference Revolution of 1974. This event marked the end of an era for the Chief Librarian, Robert H. Blackburn (1954-1981), and the start of a new epoch for librarians with membership in the University of Toronto Faculty Association (UTFA) in 1974-1975. This historic period has been reconstructed from archival documents at the University of Toronto Archives and Records Management Services (UTARMS), the Librarians’ Association of the University of Toronto (LAUT) and UTFA, as well as from interviews with librarians, who were either participants or who had first-hand knowledge about these events.
Research Interests:
This article reviews the origins and formation of the Canadian Association of Professional Academic Librarians (CAPAL) in 2012, outlines the foundational steps taken to form a national association for academic librarians in 2013, and... more
This article reviews the origins and formation of the Canadian Association of Professional Academic Librarians (CAPAL) in 2012, outlines the foundational steps taken to form a national association for academic librarians in 2013, and charts the future goals determined by a growing membership. The launch of the Canadian Association of Professional Academic Librarians (CAPAL) in December 2012 caused quite the stir. 2 There were jokes about how many librarians it takes to form a library association and fears of a " schism " with the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT). This was at the same time that many academic librarians were expressing frustration with the status quo after existing library associations failed to advocate on behalf of academic librarians and the profession of academic librarianship on issues of de-professionalization and terms and conditions of employment. The fact that there was push back against academic librarians — many of whom enjoy academic status as well as academic freedom — for taking responsibility and control of their own advocacy and advancing the interests of academic librarianship was puzzling. Perhaps in retrospect it should have been expected that the formation of CAPAL would upset a certain equilibrium in the library community, where many of the players are comfortably exploiting the existing association landscape. Library conferences are dominated by consultants and vendors; the same speakers are always on the program, and " how we done it good " presentations give the illusion that all is well in the Canadian library world. Meanwhile, many have quietly greeted the arrival of CAPAL with enthusiasm and perceive it as a welcome initiative.
Research Interests:
“Academic Librarianship: A Crisis or an Opportunity?" was a one day symposium held at the University of Toronto on November 18, 2011. The symposium provided a forum for stakeholders to consider recent troubling events and developments in... more
“Academic Librarianship: A Crisis or an Opportunity?" was a one day symposium held at the University of Toronto on November 18, 2011. The symposium provided a forum for stakeholders to consider recent troubling events and developments in the academic library community. The hiring of postdoctoral fellows at McMaster University to replace librarians, the strike by professional librarians at University of Western Ontario in 2011
and threats to the academic freedom of librarians at McGill University have all served as bellwethers and have been rich topics for debate of late. The symposium was intended
to provide an opportunity to bring more coherence to the discourse and to consider further initiatives, increased activism, and to begin a process for providing greater leadership around issues relating to academic librarians and academic librarianship.
The day was organized around a series of panels. A number of key stakeholders spoke of specific themes: 1) the role of national and provincial labour organizations and local faculty associations; 2) trends and challenges in education and curriculum at library
schools; 3) the role of library associations and professional accreditation; and 4) librarians on the front lines. The symposium emerged with a clear call to action: that it is time to become more pro-active in a collective manner, and to use the tremendous
interest generated by this event as an opportunity to seek solutions to the challenges facing academic librarianship in Canada. There was overwhelming support for the creation of a virtual forum to continue the discourse and to bring in those who are interested and willing to become engaged but who were unable to participate in the symposium.
and threats to the academic freedom of librarians at McGill University have all served as bellwethers and have been rich topics for debate of late. The symposium was intended
to provide an opportunity to bring more coherence to the discourse and to consider further initiatives, increased activism, and to begin a process for providing greater leadership around issues relating to academic librarians and academic librarianship.
The day was organized around a series of panels. A number of key stakeholders spoke of specific themes: 1) the role of national and provincial labour organizations and local faculty associations; 2) trends and challenges in education and curriculum at library
schools; 3) the role of library associations and professional accreditation; and 4) librarians on the front lines. The symposium emerged with a clear call to action: that it is time to become more pro-active in a collective manner, and to use the tremendous
interest generated by this event as an opportunity to seek solutions to the challenges facing academic librarianship in Canada. There was overwhelming support for the creation of a virtual forum to continue the discourse and to bring in those who are interested and willing to become engaged but who were unable to participate in the symposium.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Session 811 on Tuesday, July 2, 2024 at International Medieval Congress at Leeds University will present four speakers addressing the current crisis facing researchers working in digital humanities: Harriet M. Sonne de Torrens, Dept.... more
Session 811 on Tuesday, July 2, 2024 at International Medieval Congress at Leeds University will present four speakers addressing the current crisis facing researchers working in digital humanities: Harriet M. Sonne de Torrens, Dept. Visual Studies, UTM and Associate at Centre for Medieval Studies, University of Toronto Moderator: Miguel A. Torrens, Baptisteria Sacra Index (BSI), University of Toronto; Jan Maliszewski, Wydział Filozofii, Uniwersytet Warszawski ; Toby Burrows, Faculty of History, University of Oxford ; Michael Gervers, Department of Historical & Cultural Studies, University of Toronto, Scarborough.
Research Interests:
A Symposium on Collaborating for Sustainability in Digital Research. Virtual Online Event on Friday, September 29, 9:30 am – 12:30 pm (EST). Presentations by scholars in USA, Canada, UK, Germany, Netherlands and Austria available on... more
A Symposium on Collaborating for Sustainability in
Digital Research. Virtual Online Event on Friday, September 29, 9:30 am – 12:30 pm (EST). Presentations by scholars in USA, Canada, UK, Germany, Netherlands and Austria available on YouTube. Papers provide an overview of the current initiatives and the status of current support for researchers working in the digital humanities. This event was organized by the University of Toronto Mississauga Critical Digital Humanities Initiative (CDHI). Attached pdf file has YOUTUBE links to the presentations. Please feel free to view and share these links with your networks!
Digital Research. Virtual Online Event on Friday, September 29, 9:30 am – 12:30 pm (EST). Presentations by scholars in USA, Canada, UK, Germany, Netherlands and Austria available on YouTube. Papers provide an overview of the current initiatives and the status of current support for researchers working in the digital humanities. This event was organized by the University of Toronto Mississauga Critical Digital Humanities Initiative (CDHI). Attached pdf file has YOUTUBE links to the presentations. Please feel free to view and share these links with your networks!
Research Interests:
The presentation addressed the Baptisteria Sacra Index (BSI), an ongoing digital humanities research project that documents baptismal fonts from the early Christian period to the seventeenth century. The BSI database was designed to... more
The presentation addressed the Baptisteria Sacra Index (BSI), an ongoing digital humanities research project that documents baptismal fonts from the early Christian period to the seventeenth century. The BSI database was designed to record iconographical information and provide compositional, narrative and semantic structures of the motifs and images identified on these liturgical vessels.
The historical development of iconography and iconology are the foundations upon which art historians analyze visual data. However, the approaches to iconography in the digital humanities today vary, with little concern about sustaining digital research.
This paper presents information about the tools utilized in the image analysis and their pros and cons; it also covers the metadata collected, which are required to reconstruct the pictorial programs ornamenting these liturgical vessels for long-term sustainability of the project. It focuses on the extraction of social and religious biases and examples of how such imagery is documented in iconographical schema.
Learn more by exploring the abstracts for this year’s conference.
Paper presented at the Critical Digital Humanities International, this year’s conference foregrounds critical DH research, praxis, and community partnerships. Critical DH is an intersectional field that emphasizes questions of power, social justice, and critical theory in making, analyzing, and using digital technologies. This is a version of digital humanities that places anti-racist, de/anti/postcolonial, feminist, and queer/trans/non-binary work at its core, and which understands our current shift in digital technology as an opportunity for social and political transformation. Critical DH foregrounds creative praxis, co-creation, public engagement, and community-based research.
The historical development of iconography and iconology are the foundations upon which art historians analyze visual data. However, the approaches to iconography in the digital humanities today vary, with little concern about sustaining digital research.
This paper presents information about the tools utilized in the image analysis and their pros and cons; it also covers the metadata collected, which are required to reconstruct the pictorial programs ornamenting these liturgical vessels for long-term sustainability of the project. It focuses on the extraction of social and religious biases and examples of how such imagery is documented in iconographical schema.
Learn more by exploring the abstracts for this year’s conference.
Paper presented at the Critical Digital Humanities International, this year’s conference foregrounds critical DH research, praxis, and community partnerships. Critical DH is an intersectional field that emphasizes questions of power, social justice, and critical theory in making, analyzing, and using digital technologies. This is a version of digital humanities that places anti-racist, de/anti/postcolonial, feminist, and queer/trans/non-binary work at its core, and which understands our current shift in digital technology as an opportunity for social and political transformation. Critical DH foregrounds creative praxis, co-creation, public engagement, and community-based research.
Research Interests:
The fall of Jerusalem in 1187 intensified the Christian rhetoric against the enemies of Christ, those who were not baptized. In the Baltic military campaigns you either consented to be baptized or you were killed, unless taken as a slave,... more
The fall of Jerusalem in 1187 intensified the Christian rhetoric against the enemies of Christ, those who were not baptized. In the Baltic military campaigns you either consented to be baptized or you were killed, unless taken as a slave, a view supported by the Cistercians and the order's founder Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153). Bernard of Clairvaux made frequent references to the Lord's vineyard and the damage by foxes and wild beasts, heretics and pagans. 1 As the historian Alan V. Murray has pointed out 'the principal raison d'être of the crusades in the Baltic region was the conversion' of pagans to Christianity, if they agreed. 2 Non-Christians acquired names associated with the Devil in the Christian rhetoric, which aided in demonizing heathens and spurring on the recruits in the northern battles. Influenced by the ecclesiastic rhetoric about pagans, the designers of the Byzantios, Hegwald, Majestatis, Tove and Sighraf baptismal fonts on the island of Gotland and in medieval Denmark turned to the Book of Daniel for inspiration. Daniel's prophecies and visions spoke of the four great beasts that devoured flesh, symbolizing four pagan empires and, in turn, the pagan territories in the Baltic region. 3 Instead of carving representations of the four corner stones of the Church or the four rives of Paradise, the bases on the more than 100 northern Romanesque fonts were carved with four protruding heads: three unidentifiable demonic beasts with features of a bear or lion, reptile, bird or a combination of features as described in Daniel 7.3 and one human who was rendered as a male or female in a derogatory fashion representing either a pagan or a slave. Many of these demonic heads were entwined in vines and shown devouring flesh. The imagery of limbs dangling from the teeth of the beasts rendered on these northern bases, unlike other Romanesque fonts in the Latin West, can be traced to the crusader rhetoric employed by Bernard of Clairvaux, Urban II and Innocent III in their promotion of the crusades. Fulcher of Chartres's mention of the victory of a few Franks over the Saracens in the First Crusade refers to these beasts as the pagans and quotes from the Psalms: 'When in the morning this fact was ascertained by scouts, the Franks, in voices overflowing with praise, blessed and glorified God, who had permitted so many thousands of infidels to be scattered by a tiny army of Christians. 'Blessed therefore be God who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth' (Psalm 123.6). 4 This art historical analysis examines the derogatory base imagery on the northern baptismal fonts in relation to the existing tensions in the multi-faith communities that co-existed in the twelfth and thirteenth century on Gotland and in medieval Denmark as a result of the Baltic missions, ecclesiastic rhetoric and contemporary law codes, Liber legis Scaniae and Guta Lag.
Research Interests:
41st Canadian Conference of Medieval Art Historians at Art Gallery of Ontario March 25-26. Hosted by the Art Gallery of Ontario, University of Toronto and University of Toronto Mississauga. Presenting a paper "THE BALTIC CRUSADES:... more
41st Canadian Conference of Medieval Art Historians at Art Gallery of Ontario March 25-26. Hosted by the Art Gallery of Ontario, University of Toronto and University of Toronto Mississauga. Presenting a paper "THE BALTIC CRUSADES: CRUSADER KINGS, PEREGRINI AND PALMERS" March 26, 2022.This paper will introduce three inter-connected themes that escalated in popularity in the Infancy cycles carved on the northern Romanesque baptismal fonts during the apostolically endorsed Baltic Crusades (c. 1147-1350): crusader kingship, peregrini, and palmers. The fonts with the most extensive Infancy narratives were carved by the Danish and Gotland workshops in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, during the first one-hundred years of the Baltic Crusades, known as the Valdemarian Era (1157-1241). Both Valdemar I and Valdemar II declared
themselves ‘Crusader Kings’.
themselves ‘Crusader Kings’.
Research Interests:
Conference Oct. 21-22 at the University of Toronto Mississauga organized by the Digital Humanities Network at U of T.
Research Interests:
Conference organized by Susanne Wittekind and Kirsten Bierbaum at Kunsthistorisches Institut, Abt. Allgemeine Kunstgeschichte, Universität zu Köln, Germany.
Research Interests:
Cancelled due to Covid-19. Rescheduled to 2022. Part of session entitled, The Northern and Iberian Crusades: Visual Propaganda in the Borderlands. Two other presenters in this session were: Kersti Markus, School of Humanities, Tallinn... more
Cancelled due to Covid-19. Rescheduled to 2022. Part of session entitled, The Northern and Iberian Crusades: Visual Propaganda in the Borderlands. Two other presenters in this session were: Kersti Markus, School of Humanities, Tallinn University and Eileen McKiernan González, Department of Art & Art History, Berea College, Kentucky.
Research Interests:
The paper will discuss the iconographical patterns associated with the infancy cycle portrayed in the Baltic region, during the Northern Crusades. The Infantiae Christi Corpus reveals that the popularity of this topic is a northern... more
The paper will discuss the iconographical patterns associated with the infancy cycle portrayed in the Baltic region, during the Northern Crusades. The Infantiae Christi Corpus reveals that the popularity of this topic is a northern phenomenon that emerged in two different periods corresponding to the Baltic missions undertaken in the eastern regions.
Research Interests:
Librarians' and Archivists' Conference October 25, 2019 at 9:00am - October 26, 2019 at 5:00pm Delta Ottawa City Centre 101 Lyon St Ottawa, ON K1R 5T9 Panelists: Katherine Watmough (Moderator/modératrice) Harriet Sonne De Torrens,... more
Librarians' and Archivists' Conference
October 25, 2019 at 9:00am - October 26, 2019 at 5:00pm
Delta Ottawa City Centre
101 Lyon St
Ottawa, ON K1R 5T9
Panelists:
Katherine Watmough (Moderator/modératrice)
Harriet Sonne De Torrens, University of Toronto
Francesca Holyoke, University of New Brunswick
Marc Richard, McGill University
October 25, 2019 at 9:00am - October 26, 2019 at 5:00pm
Delta Ottawa City Centre
101 Lyon St
Ottawa, ON K1R 5T9
Panelists:
Katherine Watmough (Moderator/modératrice)
Harriet Sonne De Torrens, University of Toronto
Francesca Holyoke, University of New Brunswick
Marc Richard, McGill University
Research Interests:
Conference presentation at Leeds International Medieval Congress, July 4, 2019, in the session entitled "The Influence of the Cistercian Order in the Baltic Region" with fellow participants: Kurt Villads Jensen, Historiska institutionen,... more
Conference presentation at Leeds International Medieval Congress, July 4, 2019, in the session entitled "The Influence of the Cistercian Order in the Baltic Region" with fellow participants: Kurt Villads Jensen, Historiska institutionen, Stockholms Universitet, Ebbe Nyborg, Nationalmuseet, København , Kersti Markus, School of Humanities, Tallinn University.
Research Interests:
In the session entitled, Nordic Splendour: Medieval Church Furnishings in Scandinavia organized by Dr Justin E. A. Kroesen, Bergen in the conference, Forum Kunst des Mittelalters, Berlin and Brandenburg, Germany.
Research Interests:
This paper examined the liturgical furnishings known to have been used in the service of the liturgy in the chapel at Beauport Abbey. Session Title: “White canons of Brittany and Lincolnshire” Conference: International Medieval Congress,... more
This paper examined the liturgical furnishings known to have been used in the service of the liturgy in the chapel at Beauport Abbey. Session Title: “White canons of Brittany and Lincolnshire” Conference: International Medieval Congress, Leeds University, England.
Research Interests:
Sixteenth Century Society Conference, Aug. 18-20, Bruges, Belgium.
Research Interests:
In conference entitled Familles, pouvoirs et foi en Bretagne et dans l’Europe de l’Ouest à l’époque médiévale (Ve – XVe siècle) / Families, powers and faith in Brittany and Western Europe in the Middle Ages (5th-15th centuries),... more
In conference entitled Familles, pouvoirs et foi en Bretagne et dans l’Europe de l’Ouest à l’époque médiévale (Ve – XVe siècle) / Families, powers and faith in Brittany and Western Europe in the Middle Ages (5th-15th centuries), Université Bretagne Sud, Lorient, Finistère, France & Landévennec Abbey, Finistère, France.
Research Interests:
Northern/Early Medieval Interdisciplinary Conference Series, University of York, England.
Research Interests:
In the session entitled, Nordic Splendour: Medieval Church Furnishings in Scandinavia organized by Dr Justin E. A. Kroesen, Bergen in the conference, Forum Kunst des Mittelalters, Berlin and Brandenburg, Germany.
Research Interests:
Presentation given at University of Western Ontario, June 21, 2016, to members of the faculty association and students in information studies. Abstract: Academic freedom is a core value in the profession of academic librarianship, an... more
Presentation given at University of Western Ontario, June 21, 2016, to members of the faculty association and students in information studies. Abstract: Academic freedom is a core value in the profession of academic librarianship, an essential requirement if librarians are to fulfill their responsibilities. Analysis of what constitutes 'academic freedom' for academic librarians at Canadian universities in terms of the language and definitions used in collective agreements and policies was discussed. Information from collective agreements, policies, job postings and a 2014 survey of librarians in Canada, was presented.
Research Interests:
BSI is an international iconographic index of baptismal fonts from the early Christian period to the 17th century made available via the World Wide Web for scholarly research in a searchable electronic format which contains both images... more
BSI is an international iconographic index of baptismal fonts from the early Christian period to the 17th century made available via the World Wide Web for scholarly research in a searchable electronic format which contains both images and text in a relational database. We are currently seeking international academic support to host this project on an accessible platform for students and scholars. We currently have more than 23,000 fonts inventories, 1200+ inscriptions documented, more than 3300 bibliographical references on baptismal fonts and over 100,000 digital images of the fonts and their settings (as of October 2021, this is a on-going work in progress).
Research Interests:
CONTENT OF THESIS Abbreviations 3 List of Illustrations 4 Chart 1: Pictorial Programs Introduction 8 Previous Scholarship 11 CHAPTER ONE : HISTORICAL CONTEXT Dates and Provenance 14 The Changing Parameters of Iberian Society 19... more
CONTENT OF THESIS
Abbreviations 3
List of Illustrations 4
Chart 1: Pictorial Programs
Introduction 8
Previous Scholarship 11
CHAPTER ONE : HISTORICAL CONTEXT
Dates and Provenance 14
The Changing Parameters of Iberian Society 19
Castilian Monasteries and the Episcopal Seat of Burgos 21
CHAPTER TWO : PEDAGOGICAL COERCION
The Season of Lent 24
The Month of March and Thorns of Sexual Vices 29
The Pictorial Programs 33
CHAPTER THREE : THE THEOLOGICAL CONTEXT
The Female Body of Christ 37
The Vulva Matris 46
CHAPTER FOUR : FEMALE IDENTITIES
Female Deception, Luxuria and Original Sin 52
The Alcahueta and Medieval Go-Betweens 58
Female Genitalia, Prostitutes and Troubadours 68
The Female “Fovea” and Baptism 77
Sirens, Female Seducers and Male Sexuality 82
Conclusion 88
Illustrations 91
Bibliography 130
Abbreviations 3
List of Illustrations 4
Chart 1: Pictorial Programs
Introduction 8
Previous Scholarship 11
CHAPTER ONE : HISTORICAL CONTEXT
Dates and Provenance 14
The Changing Parameters of Iberian Society 19
Castilian Monasteries and the Episcopal Seat of Burgos 21
CHAPTER TWO : PEDAGOGICAL COERCION
The Season of Lent 24
The Month of March and Thorns of Sexual Vices 29
The Pictorial Programs 33
CHAPTER THREE : THE THEOLOGICAL CONTEXT
The Female Body of Christ 37
The Vulva Matris 46
CHAPTER FOUR : FEMALE IDENTITIES
Female Deception, Luxuria and Original Sin 52
The Alcahueta and Medieval Go-Betweens 58
Female Genitalia, Prostitutes and Troubadours 68
The Female “Fovea” and Baptism 77
Sirens, Female Seducers and Male Sexuality 82
Conclusion 88
Illustrations 91
Bibliography 130
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This guide provides information about sites offering free access to images for publications, teaching and other academic uses. Style guides MLA, APA, Turabain, Chicago.
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Computer Science, Art, Architecture, Politics, Colonialism, and 3 moreIslam, Visual Arts, and Audio Visual
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Computer Science, Art, Architecture, Politics, Colonialism, and 3 moreIslam, Visual Arts, and Audio Visual
Research Interests: Computer Science, Art, Architecture, Politics, Colonialism, and 3 moreIslam, Visual Arts, and Audio Visual
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY AND DRAFT RESEARCH QUESTIONS Due Oct. 19th Worth: 15% of your final grade
Research Interests:
Primary library resources for art history courses FAH281, FAH395, FAH495 spanning Islamic world from Spain to Central and East Asia, starting in the seventh century.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Computer Science, Art, Architecture, Politics, Colonialism, and 3 moreIslam, Visual Arts, and Audio Visual
Research Interests:
FADIS (Fine Art Digital Imaging System) is a content management system designed for the teaching, studying and researching of art, architecture and visual culture. FADIS combines the digital management of electronic resources with a... more
FADIS (Fine Art Digital Imaging System) is a content management system designed for the teaching, studying and researching of art, architecture and visual culture. FADIS combines the digital management of electronic resources with a courseware system.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Computer Science, Art, Architecture, Politics, Colonialism, and 3 moreIslam, Visual Arts, and Audio Visual
Research Interests:
FADIS (Fine Art Digital Imaging System) is a content management system designed for the teaching, studying and researching of art, architecture and visual culture. FADIS combines the digital management of electronic resources with a... more
FADIS (Fine Art Digital Imaging System) is a content management system designed for the teaching, studying and researching of art, architecture and visual culture. FADIS combines the digital management of electronic resources with a courseware system.
Research Interests:
This article traces the provenance of two late fifteenth-century Flemish painted panels depicting the Procession to Calvary and the Resurrection of Christ, which have been assembled in a nineteenth-century composite work known as the... more
This article traces the provenance of two late fifteenth-century Flemish painted panels depicting the Procession to Calvary and the Resurrection of Christ, which have been assembled in a nineteenth-century composite work known as the Paimpol Triptych from Beauport Abbey. A review of local, regional, and national documentation suggests that the two wings may have been painted by an artist with connections to the Hans Fleming studio in Bruges. An examination of the two wings compared to the Salvatori Mundi and the Triptych of the Resurrection by Hans Memling reveals striking similarities. Furthermore, the discovery of an ‘ermine tail’ with an upper fleur-de-lis motif and crown, a motif associated with Anne, Duchess of Brittany, and Queen of France, in the Resurrection scene raises intriguing questions about the works’ commission and patronage.
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Art and Proclamation
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
An upper year visual studies course was used to assess how best to implement Reflective Practice (RP) as a means of encouraging deeper reflection. Surveys and an imbedded RP lesson were delivered and the instructor’s perception of the... more
An upper year visual studies course was used to assess how best to implement Reflective Practice (RP) as a means of encouraging deeper reflection. Surveys and an imbedded RP lesson were delivered and the instructor’s perception of the intervention was evaluated. We provide a template for its implementation.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Marriage in Europe became a central pillar of society during the medieval period. Theologians, lawyers, and secular and church leaders agreed on a unique outline of the institution and its legal framework, the essential features of which... more
Marriage in Europe became a central pillar of society during the medieval period. Theologians, lawyers, and secular and church leaders agreed on a unique outline of the institution and its legal framework, the essential features of which remained in force until the 1980s. The medieval Western European definition of marriage was unique: before the legal consequences of marriage came into being, the parties had to promise to engage in sexual union only with one partner and to remain in the marriage until one of the parties died. This requirement had profound implications for inheritance rules and for the organization of the family economy; it was explained and justified in a multitude of theological discussions and legal decisions across all faiths on the European continent. Normative texts, built on the foundations of the scriptures of several religious traditions, provided an impressive intellectual framework around marriage. In addition, developments in iconography, including sculpture and painting, projected the dominant model of marriage, while social, demographic and cultural changes encouraged its adoption. This volume traces the medieval discussion of marriage in practice, law, theology and iconography. It provides an examination of the wider political and economic context of marriage and offers an overview of the ebb and flow of society's ideas about how expressions of human sexuality fit within the confines of a clearly defined social structure and ideology. A Cultural History of Marriage in the Medieval Age presents an overview of the period with essays on Courtship and Ritual; Religion, State and Law; Kinship and Social Networks; the Family Economy; Love and Sex; the Breaking of Vows; and Representations of Marriage.
Research Interests:
Contents: Introduction Nel mio bel San Giovanni, fatti per loco de' battezzatori: baptismal fonts in Tuscany, Nirit Ben-Aryeh Debby The St John portal and baptistery at St Stephen's cathedral, Sens, Annabelle Martin Reconsidering... more
Contents: Introduction Nel mio bel San Giovanni, fatti per loco de' battezzatori: baptismal fonts in Tuscany, Nirit Ben-Aryeh Debby The St John portal and baptistery at St Stephen's cathedral, Sens, Annabelle Martin Reconsidering the date of the baptismal font in San Isidoro, LeA^3n, Spain, Harriet M. Sonne de Torrens The two fonts of the Florence baptistery and the evolution of the baptismal rite in Florence, ca. 1200-1500, Amy R. Bloch 'The heavens and all the powers therein': the iconography of the font of All Saints, Gresford in its political context, Madeleine Gray Festive vessels or everyday fonts? New considerations on the liturgical functions of medieval baptismal fonts in Germany, Silvia Schlegel Chores, computation, and the Second Coming: calendar images and Romanesque baptismal fonts, Frances Altvater Baptism and the interaction with supernatural creatures in medieval Europe, Jenni Kuuliala Select bibliography Index.