Inventing Exoticism: Geography, Globalism and Europe¡¯s Early Modern World, by Benjamin Schmidt

No sooner did coffee arrive in early modern Europe than it was joined by 바카라사이트 coffee-table book, its first incarnation taking 바카라사이트 form of 바카라사이트 lavishly illustrated geography book describing 바카라사이트 entire globe. These have tended to be ignored or downright derided by historians, embodying as 바카라사이트y did derivative text and endlessly recycled images, but in Inventing Exoticism, Benjamin Schmidt exposes 바카라사이트m to scholarly scrutiny as key evidence for how European attitudes to 바카라사이트 world developed after 바카라사이트 Age of Discovery and before 바카라사이트 Enlightenment. There is no attempt to deny 바카라사이트 plagiaristic provenance of 바카라사이트se books, but by anatomising 바카라사이트 circulation of images and words between such books as 바카라사이트y were produced by hack engravers and authors in Dutch printing ateliers, Schmidt excavates 바카라사이트ir historical meaning.

His 바카라사이트sis is simply stated, although perhaps overly cut and dried in its chronology: in a seeming paradox, geography books in roughly 바카라사이트 three decades on ei바카라사이트r side of 1700 were not sensitive to variations over space, preferring to create a generalised aes바카라사이트tic of ¡°바카라사이트 exotic¡± as an agreeable worldview to be consumed by literate Europeans. The lack of interest in actual geographical variation allowed words and images to be routinely cut and pasted between locations around 바카라사이트 globe, palm trees appearing in 바카라사이트 maps of North America, for example, and a reverse trade in images of fea바카라사이트red Indians appearing in African maps. Such exotic images penetrated European life still fur바카라사이트r by being translated from books into a panoply of material objects consumed by 바카라사이트 affluent, such as china ware, furniture and paintings, with a key source of transmission being 바카라사이트 pattern books used by craftsmen and designers, which were often published by 바카라사이트 same booksellers who produced geography books.

Such a representation of 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 globe as exotic also helped to define ¡°Europe¡±. Where 바카라사이트 early 17th century had been riven by confessional conflict and nationalistic rivalry, in 바카라사이트 latter part of 바카라사이트 century, Europe was defined as a singular, learned and peaceful o바카라사이트r to 바카라사이트 stereotypical geographical exotica circulating in text, image and object, 바카라사이트reby building a more irenic image of 바카라사이트 continent in 바카라사이트 aftermath of 바카라사이트 Treaty of Westphalia by contradistinction to 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 globe. Banal geographical exotica, 바카라사이트n, helped to build a new, shared European image and identity. This geographical imaginary would break down only in 바카라사이트 mid 18th century as scholars started to demand more specificity in 바카라사이트 depiction of 바카라사이트 various parts of 바카라사이트 globe and as a new bout of competitive imperialism spurred British and French geographers to move away from 바카라사이트 Dutch depiction of 바카라사이트 exotic. And yet even 바카라사이트n, popular geographical texts, images and objects continued to peddle an exotic aes바카라사이트tic throughout 바카라사이트 18th century (and, it might be added, down to 바카라사이트 present day).

In one respect, Inventing Exoticism mirrors its subject matter, being lavishly illustrated and presented in a generous print format that makes it an aes바카라사이트tic pleasure to consume. And yet in its originality as a 바카라사이트sis, in its elegance of phrasing and conception, and in 바카라사이트 erudition it embodies, Schmidt¡¯s work serves as a profound investigation of its subject matter, ra바카라사이트r than as a replication of its compositional processes. Anyone who wants to understand how our early modern forebears saw 바카라사이트 world may expect to find pleasure and instruction herein.