Open events

Where do we find the past, and how do we share it? The current digital turn in Renaissance historiography brings quantification and “big data” back to the foreground in social history. With it comes the opportunity to see how digital humanities might intersect with microhistory as an advanced analytical and narrative tool. Quantitative social history and microhistory intersect more commonly now and lead us to consider how microhistory might shape and be shaped by digital tools; the digital humanities may be where the micro and macro converge. This presentation examines some examples of digital projects in Renaissance studies featuring collaborations between art historians and social historians who have used microhistorical methods to give a public-facing and narrative dimension to projects which can otherwise be unwieldy in presenting large amounts of data. The presentation will then consider some common challenges to this intersection, before proposing some possible paths forward. The CHA is cosponsoring this plenary.