Visit of Prof. Catriona Seth to the Institute of Romance Studies
As part of the Excellence Initiative – Research University (IDUB) programme, the Faculty of Neophilology will host Professor Catriona Seth from the University of Oxford, a distinguished scholar of eighteenth-century literature and culture. During her visit, Professor Seth will deliver two open lectures in English, both held at the Institute of Romance Studies (pl. Nankiera 4).
The first lecture, entitled Mistaken Identities: (re)identifying Marie-Antoinette’s childhood Portrait, will take place on Tuesday, 15 October, from 12:00 to 13:30 in room 3.2. The second lecture, From 18th-century Inoculations to the COVID pandemic: some historical parallels, is scheduled for Thursday, 17 October, from 10:15 to 11:45 in room 2.2.
Below is brief information about both lectures by Prof. Catriona Seth, along with their summaries:
– 15 October, 12:00-1:30 p.m., room 3.2: ‘Misidentification: (Re)identification of Marie Antoinette’s childhood portrait’
The most famous woman of her time and still on of the most celebrated women in history, Marie-Antoinette is known to us through defining portraits. Observation and a hunt in the archives led me to discover a case of mistaken identity. The case shows that there are things to be learned even about the most well-known subjects and suggests paradigms for research in different fields.
– 17 October, 10:15–11:45 a.m., room 2.2: ‘From 18th-century vaccinations to the COVID pandemic: some historical parallels’
Smallpox was the greatest killer in early modern Europe. It swept through cities in epidemic waves. Kings and queens fell victims to it. Smallpox inoculation, the ancestor of vaccination, was a game-changer in terms of personal and public health. The issues raised surrounding it bear an uncanny resemblance to many of the debates provoked by the Covid pandemic: should borders be closed? Should immunisation be compulsory? How can individual freedoms be safeguarded in times of crisis?
Date of publication: 7.10.2025
Added by: M.K.
