Description:
The Portuguese voyages—the first real interaction among world cultures in modern times—spurred a dramatic revolution. Portuguese sailors established a global trading network that exposed the world to new imagery and artistic techniques, leading to the creation of strikingly beautiful and highly original art. Approximately 250 examples of these works, gathered from museums and private collections around the world, were on view in Encompassing the Globe, the largest exhibition ever presented at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. The New York Times called the 2007 exhibition “a show that glows like a treasury, radiates like a compass, and seems as rich with potential information as the World Wide Web.”
The accompanying three-volume catalogue contains full-color reproductions of each object: paintings, sculptures, manuscripts, maps, and other rare wonders from Portugal, Africa, Brazil, the Indian Ocean, China, and Japan. The illustrations accompany essays by leading authorities that shed new light on the period, reveal the motivations behind the Portuguese expansion, and relate the remarkable story of the search for coveted Eastern spices. A reference guide is also included.
