Treasured Possessions from the Renaissance to the Enlightenment (and the Museum Shop)

Take a curated journey through the decorative arts, from the handcrafted luxuries of the Renaissance to the beginnings of mass commerce in the Enlightenment, at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge. Each of the three hundred “beautiful and engaging” objects in this exhibition was “once a treasured possession – revealing the personal tastes and aspirations of its owner, and preserving precious memories.”

Witness the impact of global trade on European tastes: the lust for goods imported from the East, the revolutions caused by New World products like chocolate and sugar. European shoppers were “lured by dazzling colours, intricate designs, constant technological innovation and the glamour of the exotic.” Sound familiar?

This is the tale of how how we fell in love with shopping and how (for better or worse, for richer or poorer) the luxury goods industry started.

Read about a fascinating fashion display there in our latest trends post at Visuology.