This weekend I took a field trip to the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford, Connecticut and found myself enchanted by the Cabinet of Art and Curiosity Gallery filled with over 200 objects of art, nature, and craftsmanship.
In the 16th and 17th centuries cabinets of art and curiosity were fascinating collections of objects. These cabinets were like museums, filled with all kinds of interesting things that people wanted to learn about. They had objects from nature, like animals and plants, as well as works of art, scientific instruments, and even strange and exotic items. People would visit these cabinets to see these objects up close and learn about the world. This type of collection was popular in the German speaking territories north of the Alps. The German term for such a collection is Kunst-und Wunderkammer: a room of art and wonders.
There were different types of cabinets of art and curiosity. Some were owned by rulers and rich people, and they were very fancy and focused on showing off their wealth and power. Others were owned by scholars and scientists, and they were more modest and focused on learning and discovery. But all cabinets of art and curiosity were meant to entertain and educate people. They were places where people could see and touch things they had never seen before. The cabinets were like a mix of a museum and a show, where people could be amazed and learn at the same time.
These cabinets were important because they helped people understand the world around them. They were like windows into different cultures and times. They showed people the wonders of nature and the achievements of human creativity. Cabinets of art and curiosity were like treasure troves of knowledge and imagination, inviting people to explore and discover. They were a way for people to satisfy their curiosity and learn about the world in a fun and exciting way.
At the Wadsworth, the interactive Gallery piqued my interest, the quotes around the room, the interactive drawers to open and discover ancient fabrics, shells, writings, artistry, and so much more to showcase the “expressions of human ingenuity and virtuosity.” These objects were mostly small like a bronze statue of a head of a cat from the Egyptian Ptolemaic period, 1st century BCE or minerals, corals, and shells meant to be picked up and studied deeply like a book, sparking discussions between scholars, intellectuals, and Cabinet visitors.
This made me think of the arts and curiosities we have in our own homes, on shelves and in cabinets. These are collectables we find on our travels or a shell we took home from the beach, a blue feather found on the ground in the park. Also, what about the art and curiosities from books we read? What are the things we carry and take away after reading a book, a key quote or idea that stays with us after we close the book. What if students created their own cabinets of art and curiosity at the end of the year to show the collectables from their classroom experiences? This can be digital or tangible cabinet to highlight the travels and experiences from the school year. Highlighting texts, objects, and artists work to display to others about their learning.
- How do cabinets of art and curiosity remind you of places or collections you have seen or visited?
- What objects or items would you include in your own cabinet of art and curiosity? Why?
- In what ways do cabinets of art and curiosity inspire you to explore and learn about the world around you?
I am reminded of the Book Bento visual literacy analysis project I assign students with our nonfiction unit. They are similar and yet different. A book bento requires students to choose artifacts that symbolize key events, characters, and themes presented throughout the book. A cabinet of curiosities for a book or final reflection can be the same. Students can collect objects and writings to highlight their travels throughout the school year and create their own Wunderkammer.
- Once the object or objects are collected, have students to describe the physical object using as many senses as they can. What does it look like, feel like, smell like, sound like? (Maybe skip tasting it!)
- Describe the item like one would for a library catalog or for citing it for a paper. What elements should be included? (Title, author, date, format, etc.)
- Additionally, have students share something about this item that no one else could tell from the documentation already created. This could be a memory of the item or someone related to the item, feelings about the object or people associated with it, or where it came from.
- Display all the cabinets in the room. Take a gallery walk around. What do you notice about the different displays? What do they tell you about the different collections of your classmates? What object or cabinet are you most curious about?
Think about it, how might you borrow and adapt this idea in your own classroom?
The Teaching Factor 