On June 21, the School of Art held a Youth Art Forum. Associate Professor Xue Junwei, Vice Dean of the School of Fine Arts of Nanjing Normal University, was invited to report on the theme of "Science and Art in the Italian Renaissance". The master's degree supervisor of the School of Fine Arts and the postgraduate students listened to this educational event together. The lecture was presided over by Associate Professor Jiang Yongshuai, the postgraduate supervisor of Fine Arts.

Focusing on the theme of science and art in the Italian Renaissance, Professor Xue developed the lecture on two levels:

First, the lecture focused on the issue of Renaissance science. Professor Xue pointed out that Renaissance artists were not the same as today's understanding of "artists", and that each person played many roles. They could be poets, painters, sculptors, engineers, and so on, and they were very comprehensive, called "Renaissance people," or generalists. They are called "Renaissance Men," i.e., generalists, and illustrate the contribution of Renaissance Men to science through the tireless exploration of science by Renaissance masters such as Leonardo da Vinci, Giotto, and Brunelleschi.  

The second part is how science has influenced art and other disciplines. From Leonardo da Vinci's pioneering of anatomy, which laid the foundation for the life sciences, to Francesca's late study of Perspective, On the Five Positive Polyhedra comparing China's Yuan Dynasty Wang Zhen's Book of Agriculture, to Galileo's Map of the Moon. Professor Xue believes that the revolutionary contributions to science made by Renaissance masters such as Leonardo da Vinci started from observation rather than the study of classical literature. The means of art was used to serve the anatomy of science, and the function of art was explored from the perspective of science. There is much more to the intersection between art and science throughout the human process, beyond the surface of this relationship, but more a kind of fit between the two spirits. The lecture explains the importance of art in the development of science in detail.

Finally, Professor Xue used Eric's insights to answer the famous "Joseph Lee's question" in the history of science and technology, based on the science and art of the Renaissance. Why did the scientific and industrial revolution not take place in modern China despite the many contributions of ancient China to the development of science and technology? This topic was discussed with Prof. Xue, and triggered multi-faceted thinking and insights from teachers and students, which stimulated a lively meeting of minds and benefited them greatly.