The Art & Science of a Medieval “First in Flight”

June 23, 2015 

Glaire D. Anderson, Associate Professor of Art History

Leonardo Da Vinci’s sketchbooks are clear evidence that interest in the possibility of human flight has a long history predating the Wright Brothers, but few realize that experiments in flight occurred as early as the ninth century. Glaire Anderson discusses a long-lost medieval Arabic account of a flight that took place in Córdoba, the capital of Islamic Spain. She argues that this account, and the earliest Islamic scientific instruments, reveal unexpected but meaningful links between early Islamic art, architecture, and science.

TIME: 4:30 to 6:00 p.m.

All Spotlight on Scholars events take place at Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill. There are no preparatory readings for these events.

Program Tuition: Tuition is $20 for everyone paying at the door. Register ahead of time and pay $18.00 per program or pay only $8 if you are a member of the UNC General Alumni Association (GAA). To receive a discount, registrations must be received at least 1 business day before the event. If you take the GAA discount and are not a GAA member, you will be asked to join or pay the difference before the event. To check your membership status or to join the GAA, please visit alumni.unc.edu or call 800.962.0742. GAA membership is open to all UNC alumni and friends.

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