This major exhibition at the Ashmolean Museum brings together paintings, sculpture, textiles, and musical instruments created between 1450 and 1650. Visitors can examine how these historic objects engaged the senses and reflected a rapidly expanding, globally connected world. See masterpiece works from artists including Raphael, Dürer, and Sofonisba Anguissola.
Read curatorial context and practical visitor information for Renaissance Worlds: Art and the Senses at Ashmolean Museum in Oxford
This major exhibition examines how art and objects created between 1450 and 1650 engaged the senses and reflected a rapidly expanding, globally connected world. It features a diverse collection of paintings, sculpture, textiles, and musical instruments that highlight the period's sensory richness.
Renaissance Worlds: Art and the Senses invites visitors to explore the sensory landscape of the period between 1450 and 1650. Through a curated selection of artworks and everyday objects, the exhibition illustrates how Renaissance society experienced the world through colour, texture, music, scent, and taste. The display brings together items from Europe and beyond to reveal a period defined by global exchange and a profound connection to the physical and sensory environment. The exhibition features works by renowned artists such as Raphael, Uccello, Dürer, Sofonisba Anguissola, and Antonello da Messina. Visitors will encounter a wide variety of mediums, including iridescent featherwork, fine textiles like velvet and silk, and functional items such as musical instruments and culinary artifacts. By focusing on these multisensory elements, the exhibition provides a new perspective on how Renaissance people lived, worked, and interacted with an increasingly complex global network.
Tickets for this exhibition will be available in spring 2027. Ashmolean Members enjoy unlimited free access to all exhibitions and are encouraged to join to support the museum and enjoy year-round benefits, including exclusive previews and event discounts.
Review exhibition status, schedule, venue context, and attribution details for Renaissance Worlds: Art and the Senses at Ashmolean Museum in Oxford
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