GEMS - Group for Early Modern Studies

GEMS - Group for Early Modern Studies GEMS is a research group at Ghent University in the field of early modern history

The research carried out in GEMS is marked by its focus on the early modern period, but also by a shared concern for methodological reflection. Central in this respect is the historical tension that we perceive between the early modern phenomena that we study and the late-modern theoretical framework by which our research is guided. The historical relationship between the object of investigation and the method of investigation is one of the central concerns of GEMS.

Bijeenkomst Jaarboek De Achttiende Eeuw 2026: ‘250 jaar Onafhankelijkheid Verenigde Staten’(English version below) Datum...
11/09/2026

Bijeenkomst Jaarboek De Achttiende Eeuw 2026: ‘250 jaar Onafhankelijkheid Verenigde Staten’

(English version below)

Datum en tijd: vrijdag 30 oktober 2026, 14.00-18.00
Plaats: Bushuis (Kartinizaal), Kloveniersburgwal 48 Amsterdam

De ondertekening van de Amerikaanse Onafhankelijkheidsverklaring op 4 juli 1776 wordt in 2026 uitgebreid gevierd en herdacht. Wat er precies herdacht zou moeten worden, is al 250 jaar voer voor discussie en extra prangend nu onvervreemdbare rechten en democratische beginselen zo onder druk staan in de VS en daarbuiten. Tegelijkertijd is het onderzoek naar de Onafhankelijkheid en de Amerikaanse Revolutie zelf levendiger dan ooit. Dat is in belangrijke mate het gevolg van een meer transnationale blik op de Amerikaanse Revolutie, waarin uitwisselingen en contacten met andere gebieden centraal staan. Tijdens deze bijeenkomst, tevens de presentatie van het Jaarboek Achttiende Eeuw, bespreken we deze beide kanten van de Amerikaanse Onafhankelijkheid. Voor de pauze belichten drie onderzoekers verschillende economische, culturele en politieke aspecten van de Onafhankelijkheid vanuit hun grenzeloze verwevenheid. Na de pauze staat de doorwerking van de betekenis en idealen van de Amerikaanse Revolutie in de 19e en 20e eeuw centraal, in een panelgesprek met drie specialisten op het gebied van de (moderne) Amerikaanse geschiedenis.

We hopen u allen te verwelkomen op 30 oktober!

Aanmelden kan per email via [email protected]

Programma
14.00: Inloop
14.15: Welkom en introductie
14.30: Presentaties:

- Pauline Wittebol, Nederlandse handel in thee en wapens in de aanloop naar de Amerikaanse Onafhankelijkheid
- Edwina Hagen, Republikeinse hofcultuur: machtsdomein van ‘het schoone geslacht’. Catharina Schimmelpenninck en Abigaïl Adams
- Dirk Alkemade, Een Nederlandse Washington? De zoektocht naar helden in het tijdperk van revoluties

15.30: Pauze met koffie en thee
16.00: Panelgesprek met James Kennedy (UU), Heleen Blommers (RU) en Jelte Olthof (RUG)
16.55: overhandiging eerste exemplaar Jaarboek en afsluiting
17.00-18.00: borrel

---

Date and time: Friday 30 October 2026, 14.00–18.00
Venue: Bushuis (Kartinizaal), Kloveniersburgwal 48, Amsterdam

The signing of the American Declaration of Independence on 4 July 1776 will be celebrated and commemorated extensively in 2026. Exactly what should be commemorated has been a subject of debate for 250 years and is all the more pressing now that inalienable rights and democratic principles are under such pressure in the US and beyond. At the same time, research into Independence and the American Revolution itself is more vibrant than ever. This is largely the result of a more transnational perspective on the American Revolution, in which exchanges and contacts with other regions take centre stage. During this event, which also serves as the launch of the Jaarboek Achttiende Eeuw, we will discuss both these aspects of American Independence. Before the break, three researchers will highlight various economic, cultural and political aspects of the Independence, emphasising their boundless interconnection. After the break, the focus will be on the lasting impact of the significance and ideals of the American Revolution in the 19th and 20th centuries, in a panel discussion with three specialists in the field of (modern) American history.

We look forward to welcoming you all on 30 October!

You can register via email at [email protected]

Programme
14:00: Arrival
14:15: Welcome and introduction
14:30: Presentations:

- Pauline Wittebol, Dutch trade in tea and weapons in the run-up to American Independence
- Edwina Hagen, Republican court culture: a sphere of power for ‘the fair sex’ – Catharina Schimmelpenninck and Abigail Adams
- Dirk Alkemade, A Dutch Washington? The search for heroes in the Age of Revolutions

15:30: Coffee and tea break
16:00: Panel discussion with James Kennedy (UU), Heleen Blommers (RU), and Jelte Olthof (RUG)
16:55: Presentation of the first copy of the Yearbook and closing remarks
17:00–18:00: Drinks

Call for Papers Jaarboek De Achttiende Eeuw: ‘Geld en krediet: van John Law tot Greshams Law’English version belowGeld e...
11/06/2026

Call for Papers Jaarboek De Achttiende Eeuw: ‘Geld en krediet: van John Law tot Greshams Law’

English version below

Geld en krediet zijn twee kanten van dezelfde medaille: vertrouwen. Maar beide zijn ook betaalmiddelen. Hoe dat in het verleden functioneerde hing af van sociale en institutionele contexten. Zo tuigde de Schotse financier John Law in Frankrijk een complex systeem op van leningen en papiergeld gedekt door goud en zilver, dat in 1720 compleet instortte toen het publieke vertrouwen wegviel. Krediet was echter geen uitzondering, maar een alledaags onderdeel van het economische verkeer. Dat blijkt bijvoorbeeld uit de uitbetaling van zeeliedenlonen, waarbij logementhouders zekerheid voor hun betaling zochten. Ook contante betalingen tussen winkeliers en klanten waren niet vanzelfsprekend, terwijl in de vroegmoderne tijd een grote verscheidenheid aan munten door elkaar circuleerde. Wat de waarde van die munten precies was en of men daarop kon vertrouwen, was geen vaststaand gegeven.

Voor het themadossier van 2027 verwelkomt de redactie van De Achttiende Eeuw bijdragen die in brede zin op het thema ‘geld en krediet’ ingaan. Onderwerpen kunnen variëren van de rol van bankiers, geldschieters en de media tot die van de overheid als producent van muntgeld en regulerend orgaan dat economische stabiliteit en vertrouwen bevorderde, toezicht hield op het economische verkeer en fraude bestreed. Bijdragen over financiële crises (zoals de Mississippibubbel of de South Seabubbel, waaraan de naam van John Law nauw verbonden blijft) en speculatiedrift zijn welkom. Te denken valt ook aan de wereldwijde verspreiding van muntgeld. Zo gold de Hollandse gulden dankzij het stabiele zilvergehalte als standaardmunt in het internationale betalingsverkeer en functioneerden Spaanse realen lange tijd als belangrijkste betaalmiddel voor Europeanen in Azië. Naast dat zilvergeld vond ook Europees kopergeld zijn weg naar Aziatische markten, wat leidde tot de monetisering van de economie. Wat leert dit ons over vroege vormen van globalisering of over de universele waarden van geld, krediet en vertrouwen? Tot slot kijkt de redactie uit naar cultuurhistorische bijdragen over economie, geld en krediet en hun weerslag in de literaire, wetenschappelijke (denk aan Adam Smith) en kunsthistorische wereld van de achttiende eeuw.

Abstracts met voorstellen voor artikelen (max. 300 woorden, met korte bio van de auteur) graag toezenden vóór 1 augustus 2026, aan gastredacteur Alberto Feenstra ([email protected]) en [email protected]. Van de geselecteerde voorstellen worden de volledige artikelen van maximaal 6.000 woorden verwacht tegen 1 februari 2027. De artikelen worden aan redactionele peer review onderworpen.

---

Money and credit are two sides of the same coin: trust. But both are also means of payment. How this functioned in the past depended on social and institutional contexts. For instance, the Scottish financier John Law set up a complex system in France of loans and paper money backed by gold and silver, which completely collapsed in 1720 when public trust fell. Credit was not an exception, but an everyday part of economic transactions. This is evident, for example, from the payment of sailors’ wages, where innkeepers sought security for their payment. Cash payments between shopkeepers and customers were also not a given, while in the early modern period a wide variety of coins circulated. What the exact value of those coins was, and whether one could trust them, was not fixed notion.

For the 2027 theme, the editors of De Achttiende Eeuw welcome contributions that broadly interact with the topic of ‘money and credit’. Topics can range from the role of bankers, lenders, and the media, to that of the government as a producer of coinage and a regulatory body that promoted economic stability and confidence, supervised economic activity, and combated fraud. Contributions regarding financial crises (such as the Mississippi Bubble or the South Sea Bubble, with which John Law remains closely associated) and speculation are welcome. Consideration should also be given to the global spread of coinage. For instance, the Dutch guilder served as the standard currency in international payments thanks to its stable silver content, and Spanish reales functioned for a long time as the primary means of payment for Europeans in Asia. In addition to this silver currency, European copper currency also found its way to Asian markets, leading to the monetisation of the economy. What does this teach us about early forms of globalisation or about the universal values ​​of money, credit, and trust? Finally, the editors look forward to cultural-historical contributions on economics, money, and credit, and their impact on the literary, scientific (think of Adam Smith), and art-historical world of the eighteenth century.

Please submit abstracts with article proposals (max. 300 words, with a brief biography of the author) before 1 August 2026 to guest editor Alberto Feenstra ([email protected]) and [email protected]. Full articles of a maximum of 6,000 words from the selected proposals are expected by 1 February 2027. The articles will be subject to editorial peer review.

Double Book Presentation by Dr. Tim Vergeer and Dr. Britt Dams: Early Modern Dutch Literature in International ContextsG...
04/06/2026

Double Book Presentation by Dr. Tim Vergeer and Dr. Britt Dams: Early Modern Dutch Literature in International Contexts

GEMS warmly invites you to the book presentation of two recently published volumes on early modern Dutch literature in international contexts: Spanish Drama on the Dutch Stage: Transgressive Emotions in the Seventeenth Century (Brill, 2025) by Dr. Tim Vergeer, and Dutch Brazil in the Early Modern Imaginary: From Description to Classification of Lands and Peoples, 1624-1654 (Brill, 2026) by Dr. Britt Dams.

Monday 22nd of June 2026 at 4 pm
Camelot Meeting Room (room 3.30, Blandijnberg 2, Campus Boekentoren)

---

Tim Vergeer, Spanish Drama on the Dutch Stage: Transgressive Emotions in the Seventeenth Century (Brill, 2025)

Between 1568 and 1648, the Dutch revolted against the occupying Spanish Empire. Simultaneously, Dutch theatregoers eagerly flocked to adaptations of Spanish comedia nueva. This study shows how and why plays by Lope de Vega, Calderón, and others were, paradoxically, theatrical blockbusters in the Dutch Republic and Flanders. Using techniques such as spectacle, illusion, and tableaux vivants alongside violence, in**st, and cross-dressing, the comedias were emotional whirlwinds of love, honour, and revenge. Examining historical texts and stage practices from Amsterdam, Antwerp, and Brussels, Tim Vergeer demonstrates that this vastly understudied genre offered audiences a voyeuristic escape from the emotional norms of early modern life.

Tim Vergeer, Ph.D., is a scholar of historical literature and, particularly, early modern Dutch and Spanish theatre. His expertise includes onstage emotions, colonial identities in drama, Q***r readings of plays. He also publishes widely on early modern theatrical practices. More recently, he has been exploring the feminine perspective in Dutch poetry. He is a visiting professor at Ghent University.

---

Britt Dams, Dutch Brazil in the Early Modern Imaginary: From Description to Classification of Lands and Peoples, 1624-1654 (Brill, 2026)

Between 1624 and 1654, Dutch representations of Brazil evolved from wonder-filled travel narratives to increasingly systematic forms of observation and classification. Drawing on four key texts—Nieuwe Wereldt, Iaerlijck Verhael, Rerum per Octennium in Brasilia, and Historia naturalis Brasiliae—alongside maps, West India Company records, and illustrations, this study traces the emergence of new ways of describing the colonial world. It shows how information gathered by planters, soldiers, artists, and Indigenous intermediaries shaped the classification of landscapes, plants, animals, and peoples, transforming description into a powerful tool of colonial knowledge and governance in Dutch Brazil.

Britt Dams is a literary scholar specializing in early modern, colonial, and postcolonial literature, with a particular focus on seventeenth-century Dutch Brazil. She received her PhD in Literature from Ghent University in 2015 with a dissertation entitled Comprehending the New World in the Early Modern Period: Descriptions of Dutch Brazil (1624–1654). She teaches Portuguese and French at Ghent University’s Language Centre and is affiliated with the Ghent Centre for Early Modern Studies (GEMS). She also teaches comparative literature, with a special emphasis on colonial and postcolonial studies, at Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier 3, where she is a member of the Institut de Recherche Intersite d’Études Culturelles (IRIEC). She has published widely on early modern travel writing, colonial discourse, and representations of Brazil in journal articles and edited volumes.

Lecture by Dr Adam James Smith: “The Cannibal Taste Test: Sensual vs. Intellectual Discernment in Satire from Jonathan S...
27/04/2026

Lecture by Dr Adam James Smith: “The Cannibal Taste Test: Sensual vs. Intellectual Discernment in Satire from Jonathan Swift to Britain’s Miracle Meat”

Camelot Meeting Room (Lokaal 3.30)
3rd Floor, Blandijnberg 2
Monday, May 11, 2026, 3-4 pm

This presentation examines the trope of cannibalism in satire as a means of interrogating the unstable boundary between sensual and intellectual taste. In the eighteenth century, “taste” denoted both physical gustation and aesthetic or moral discernment, a duality captured in Voltaire’s distinction between goût sensuel and goût intellectuel. It argues that cannibal satire deliberately privileges sensual taste in order to expose the fragility of intellectual judgement, revealing how easily ethical reasoning can be overridden by appetite, fashion, or pleasure. The paper begins with an analysis of A Modest Proposal (1729), showing how Swift’s speaker circumvents moral scrutiny by emphasising the supposed deliciousness of human flesh. This rhetorical strategy functions as a “taste test,” forcing readers to confront whether their responses are governed by reason or by visceral appeal. The persistence of this satiric mechanism is then demonstrated through Matt Edmonds’s 2023 mockumentary Gregg Wallace: Britain’s Miracle Meat, in which ethical objections are similarly displaced by sensuous descriptions of flavour and texture. Ultimately, the paper argues that cannibal satire cultivates a form of critical habitus, compelling audiences to rehearse discernment when confronted with seductive but ethically untenable propositions.

Dr Adam James Smith is an Associate Professor of English Literature at York St John University, where he is also co-director of the York Research Unit for the Study of Satire. His most work on satire has been published in the European Journal for Humour Research, 1650-1850 Ideas, Aesthetics and Inquiries in the Early Modern Era and the Journal for Eighteenth-Century Studies, and he has written chapters on satire for Animal Satire (Palgrave), Character and Caricature, 1660-1820 (Palgrave), The Routledge Companion to Folk Horror, Rewriting Medicine: Healthcare, Literature, Culture, 1660-1831 (Cambridge), The Cambridge Companion to Eighteenth-Century Environmental Writingand The Cambridge Companion to Literary Vampires. He is co-author of the forthcoming monograph Eighteenth-Century Folk Horror: Roots, Representation and Returns (Bloomsbury) and co-editor of Impolite Periodicals: Reading Rudeness in the Eighteenth Century (Bucknell, 2026), People of Print: Eighteenth-Century England (Cambridge, 2025), People of Print: Seventeenth-Century England (Cambridge, 2023) and Print Culture, Agency and Regionality in the Handpress Period (Palgrave, 2022). He is Chief Book Reviews editor for the Journal for Eighteenth-Century Studies and co-host of the ongoing monthly podcast Smith and Waugh Talk About Satire.

No registration is required for this event.
Moderated by Giulia Coppi (PhD Candidate, UGent).
If you have any questions, please contact [email protected]. We look forward to seeing you there!

Adres

Blandijnberg
Ghent
9000

Website

Meldingen

Wees de eerste die het weet en laat ons u een e-mail sturen wanneer GEMS - Group for Early Modern Studies nieuws en promoties plaatst. Uw e-mailadres wordt niet voor andere doeleinden gebruikt en u kunt zich op elk gewenst moment afmelden.

Snelkoppelingen

Delen

Type