In Search of Expressiveness: Exploring the Notion within the Realms of Literature and Theatre in the 18th-19th Century

This workshop examines the evolving concept of expressiveness in the 18th and 19th centuries, focusing on its role in literature and theatre. Through interdisciplinary discussions, participants will explore how emotions and individual sensitivities shaped creative processes and audience reception during this period. By examining various artistic expressions and their theoretical foundations, the workshop seeks to uncover shared principles and trends underlying the notion of expressiveness across different forms of art.

Program:

14:00 Daria Speshneva

Opening Remarks: “Expressiveness in Russian History Painting: from Emotion to Narrative”
(Freie Universität Berlin)

14:30 Marco Franceschina

“Expressiveness and Metaphor Theory”
(State University of Milan)

15:30 Coffee Break

15:50 Andrei Kostin

“The Fluidity of Expression and its Early Russian Story”
(University of Grenoble-Alpes)

16:50 Guanging Zhou

“Face Betrays Soul: Textualizing Involuntary Physical Reactions in German Enlightenment Theate(Universität Heidelberg)

17:50 Closing Remarks