Location: Kelvin Hall Lecture Theatre, University of Glasgow
Date: 5.30pm, Friday 7th July 2017
The Leverhulme Trust Collections Research Group is delighted to welcome Professor Lianne McTavish from the University of Alberta to give the second talk in the new series of Human Constellations Collections talks, lectures, workshops and events. Prof. McTavish will be speaking on ‘Tapeworms in/as Body in Early Modern Europe’.
Join us for what promises to be a fascinating talk with art historian Lianne McTavish, on representations of tapeworms and the body in Early Modern Europe. How can the written and visual contents in early modern treatises on tapeworms shed new light on understandings of reproduction, pregnancy, and digestion during this period?
Tapeworms were regularly described in terms of pregnancy, for instance, with swollen bodies that perceived internal movement before “delivering” one or more worms. In some of these stories, mostly written by physicians, the worms are portrayed as harmful invaders, but other accounts praise the worms as inevitable cohabitants that helpfully feast on excess humours, providing health benefits. This talk explores the ways in which worms were subjects of fascination during the early modern period, considered both part of and other than the human body.
The talk will take place in the Kelvin Hall lecture theatre, Glasgow on Friday 7th July 2017. There will be a Q&A after the talk followed by a reception with refreshments.
This is event is free and open to all, but please do register for a ticket to ensure your place via Eventbrite.
For more information on the Human Constellations Collections group please visit our blog and follow us on Twitter at @humanconstel.