Splendor and Commerce – Exploring Humanist Italian Renaissance Book Production Through Art History and Material Analysis

Few epochs in European history are as closely associated with book culture as the Age of Humanism, during which the rediscovery of classical authors played a central role. For this reason, this project focuses on two significant humanist collections from the 16th century in Vienna: the collection of Bishop Johannes Fabri, who was closely connected with Erasmus, and the library of court physician and historian Johannes Sambucus. Both collections are now largely housed at the Austrian National Library and contain many beautifully illuminated codices. The aim of the project is to analyze these illuminations by art historical comparison in conjunction with an analysis of the painting materials to obtain information concerning origins, production, and trade networks of these manuscripts.

Since the material analysis techniques used (X-ray fluorescence analysis, infrared spectroscopy and hyperspectral imaging) generate very large amounts of data, we will develop evaluation software in collaboration with TU Wien that enables comprehensive AI-supported automated comparison of the manuscripts examined and the creation of databases. The results of this project will shed light on the practices of workshops in the early modern period and illuminate the spread of Renaissance book art across Europe, right into the Viennese scholarly world. It will not only challenge the stereotypical image of the "Italian Renaissance" versus the "Gothic North," but also lay the groundwork for future conservation efforts to preserve these valuable manuscripts as testimonies of our cultural heritage.