Exploring the Wunderkammer

Knowing the Renaissance by its Wonders

In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, elite Europeans sought to know the wider world through its wonders. By displaying marvelous objects of nature, art, or Antiquity in their wunderkammern–literally “wonder-rooms,” or cabinets of curiosities–Renaissance collectors believed they could capture the universe in microcosm. Explaining why, how, and what they collected is the aim of this online exhibition.

This exhibition was created by undergraduates in HST 315: The Renaissance, an advanced survey of European history from about 1350 to 1600 taught by the History Department at Miami University. The project draws heavily on the wonderful range of digital resources available for the study of Late Medieval and Early Modern society and culture. Students were given the challenge to identify, research, and interpret a “curious” object that could have featured in a Renaissance wunderkammer.

Please use the menu above to navigate between the different categories of wonder adopted by Renaissance scholars and collectors of curiosities: Naturalia (objects from nature), Artefacta (art and antiquities), and Scientifica (works of human innovation).

We hope that you enjoy our cabinet!

If you have any questions about this website or our class, please feel free to contact the course instructor, Dr. Will Brown (brownwa3@miamioh.edu)