Facing the Abyss: Visualizing Submarine Worlds, Aquatic Life, and Hybrids in Medieval Art

Sponsoring Organization(s)

International Center of Medieval Art (ICMA) Student Committee

Organizer Name

Matthew Westerby

Organizer Affiliation

Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison

Presider Name

Matthew Westerby

Paper Title 1

"The world is damned and lost": Alexander the Great and the Mirror of the Deep

Presenter 1 Name

Peter Bovenmyer

Presenter 1 Affiliation

Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison

Paper Title 2

There Be Dragons: Charting the Role and Evolution of Fish and Aquatic Monsters in Early Anglo-Saxon Art

Presenter 2 Name

Melissa Herman

Presenter 2 Affiliation

Univ. of York

Paper Title 3

Land, Water, Woman: Coudrette's Melusine as a Symbol of Regional Identity in Late Medieval Poitou

Presenter 3 Name

Shana Thompson

Presenter 3 Affiliation

Univ. of North Texas

Start Date

8-5-2014 3:30 PM

Session Location

Bernhard 212

Description

The depths of the sea have long been an uncanny void accessible to little more than the powers of imagination. This is especially true of the the Middle Ages which conceptualized the submarine world as a space of mystery, monsters, and maelstroms. Despite these enigmas, many individuals were also believed to have navigated the profundity below the waves. Miraculous legends fostered a deluge of imagery throughout the Middle Ages that constructed the fabulous and often fearsome nature of the submarine worlds. This panel is dedicated to exploring visual depictions of the medieval ocean and its inhabitants and to charting the voyage of the imagination both over and under this space.

Matthew Westerby