The Age of Subtlety: Nature and Rhetorical Conceits in Early Modern Europe

The Age of Subtlety: Nature and Rhetorical Conceits in Early Modern Europe explores the impact of intricate metaphors, known as conceits, on seventeenth-century Italy and Spain, reshaping reality in creative ways. It situates itself at the crossroads of rhetoric, poetics, and the history of science, analyzing technical writings on conceits by scholars such as Baltasar Gracián, Matteo Peregrini, and Emanuele Tesauro against the backdrop of debates on telescopic and microscopic vision, the generation of living beings, and the boundaries between the natural and the artificial. It argues that conceits must be understood within the early modern culture of ingenuity that gave rise to various technological advancements, such as machines, sleight of hand, and the discovery of nature's truths.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 326 pages
Publication date: 14 June 2024
Publisher: University of Delaware Press

In the seventeenth century, a fascination with intricate metaphors, known as conceits, permeated various forms of communication in Italy and Spain, reshaping reality in remarkable and creative ways. The Age of Subtlety: Nature and Rhetorical Conceits in Early Modern Europe delves into this fascinating era, examining the intersection of rhetoric, poetics, and the history of science. By analyzing technical writings on conceits by scholars such as Baltasar Gracián, Matteo Peregrini, and Emanuele Tesauro, the book explores the cultural context in which conceits thrived. It highlights the significance of conceits in the Age of Subtlety, a period characterized by ingenuity and innovation. The book argues that conceits should be understood within the broader context of early modern culture, which gave rise to remarkable achievements such as the engineers' machines, the jugglers' sleight of hand, the statesman's wiles, and the discovery of nature's truths. By examining the interplay between conceits and the broader cultural landscape, the book offers a unique perspective on the intellectual and artistic developments of the time.

Weight: 481g
Dimension: 235 x 156 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781644533444