Routledge - Knowledge and Discernment in Early Modern Arts

Explore the complex relationship between perception and expertise in early modern Europe. This volume examines how discernment functioned as a central concept at the meeting point of learned and artisanal cultures. During this era, discernment was often linked to judgment, ingenuity, and taste, representing the specific ability to understand the hidden secrets within both nature and art. This collection brings together perspectives from historians of science and historians of art to provide a deep look at how specialized knowledge was defined and applied. The research focuses heavily on the Low Countries and their various global connections, offering a clear view of how visual culture and scientific understanding shaped the early modern world. It is an essential resource for students and scholars interested in the history of art, the development of scientific thought, and the evolution of expert knowledge.