thetechnicalarthistorian

Last Friday I had the honour of officially receiving my MSc in Technical Art History from the University of Amsterdam! It was a beautiful graduation ceremony, followed by a celebration with lots of family and friends! I feel blessed to have had this experience and I am certain that the future holds many opportunities for further self-development and exciting research topics! #technicalarthistory #graduation #masterdegree #msc #arthistory #graduationday #research #researcher #academic #youngresearcher #newbeginnings #party #celebration #Amsterdam #universityofamsterdam #conservationandrestoration #culturalheritage #masterdiploma #smile #happy #diploma #gradschool #university (bij Universiteitstheater Amsterdam) https://www.instagram.com/p/B3p1GlQg9Jm/?igshid=1v8l2a5kv3wyr

Last Friday I had the honour of presenting the results of my master's thesis 'Ancient Incarnations: Depicting Human Flesh in Mummy Portraits from Roman Egypt' (soon publicly available online) at an expert meeting on mummy portraits in Berlin. For my thesis I examined four mummy portraits from the Allard Pierson collection, a leading participant in the Getty's international APPEAR project, which includes the study of mummy portraits. The results are promising and much more is still to be done with regard to this fascinating topic. We made great connections during the meeting and, hopefully, there will be plenty of opportunity for future collaboration between Amsterdam and Berlin! #technicalarthistory #allardpierson #antikensammlung #getty #gettyappear #mummyportraits #fayum #fayumportraits #archaeology #archeology #ancientart #ancientpainting #mummy #portraitpainting #art #arthistory #egyptianart #romanart #thesis #mathesis #academia #academic #scholar #research #presentation #publicspeaking #amsterdam #berlin #universityofamsterdam #conservationandrestoration (bij Archäologisches Zentrum) https://www.instagram.com/p/B1_hjxzooJs/?igshid=1a8vgg9m64t70

It's been a while since I last posted something because of all the insanity with my thesis deadline. I'm glad to say that I finally submitted my thesis last Friday! For the past year I've been researching mummy portraits from Roman Egypt, also known as 'Fayum portraits'. These portraits were painted on panel or linen and enclosed with the mummified remains of whom they represent. This tradition lasted from ca. the mid-first century AD until 392 when emperor Theodosius I outlawed mummification. My research specifically focussed on the technique of depicting flesh tones in mummy portraits and how to find sustainable terminology for this aspect of ancient painting about very little is known. As a case study I had the great opportunity to work with four mummy portraits from the collection of the Allard Pierson. The thesis is 188 pages so it's way to extensive to summarise here, but what I wouldn't want to omit is that Romano-Egyptian painters created realistic incarnations simply by utilising lead white and ochres in varying quantites, in a complex mixture of staple techniques and paintery idiosyncrasies. If you want to know more about mummy portrait research I highly recommend looking up the Getty's APPEAR project, which my research is a small part of. Now on to a final essay assignment and then my Technical Art History MA degree will be in the pocket! #technicalarthistory #allardpierson #gettymuseum #fayumportrait #fayumportraits #mummy #mummyportrait #archeology #ancientpainting #ancientart #art #panelpainting #portrait #paintings #egyptianart #romanart #romanempire #funeraryart #archaeology #paintingtechniques #analysis #research #thesis #student #universityofamsterdam #conservationandrestoration #researcher #beautiful #incarnation #faces https://www.instagram.com/p/BzIFr2WIpgs/?igshid=w4l0xqmelex5

Awesomeness at TEFAF 2019! It is really incredible to see how much art is still around to be bought (if your wallet is big enough...). Art fairs like TEFAF show a huge diversity in cultural heritage objects, from antiquities to 20th-century design and old master paintings, and so much more. Visiting these fairs is a lot of fun because it allows you to see a whole new selection of artworks not exhibited in museum collections. Another advantage is that you can come much closer to the objects than any museum would ever allow, which is really nice if you want to get a better idea how something is made. Here is a selection of my pictures from my trip to Maastricht yesterday. The fair was way to huge to capture everything, but I hope it gives a nice impression! #technicalarthistory #art #artworks #antique #antiques #tefaf #tefaf2019 #maastricht #beautiful #artfair #artwork #antiquities #design #paintings #collecting #artcollecting #aesthetic #display #expensive #onview #exhibition #modernart #contemporaryart #ancientart #oldmasters #oldmasterpaintings #daytrip #forsale #artist #artists (bij TEFAF) https://www.instagram.com/p/BvUXc5DgIs6/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1eynkck7g6qd8

Wax is a truly incredible material; it can be moulded into virtually any shape to create the most intricate sculptures. The art of wax modelling goes back to ancient times, but particularly fascinating are the hauntingly lifelike anatomical models in wax (more formally known as anatomical ceroplastics). This artform, although it was considered craft in its time, arose from the combination of scientific interest in anatomy and inability to preserve corpses. The first waxen anatomical models were produced in the late 17th century. The practice was in its heyday in the 18th century and eventually declined throughout the 19th century. The endless sculptural possibilities with wax, its receptivity for colours, and its relative stability made it the ideal medium for recreating the subtleties of human anatomy. Here's my attempt from a few months ago to sculpt an ear from a clump of wax during a historical reconstruction class, next to an 18th-century anatomical 'Venus' from the natural history museum La Specola in Florence. Doing this historical reconstrucion really confronted me with the skill needed to create such lifelike models, deepening my respect for these historical artists significantly! If you'd like to read more about the fascinating topic of anatomical ceroplastics, I'd recommend Ballestriero, R. 2010. 'Anatomical models and wax Venuses: art masterpieces or scientific craft works?', Journal of Anatomy 216(2): 223-234. #technicalarthistory #wax #anatomy #art #material #materialproperties #reconstruction #historicalreconstructions #humanbody #incredible #skill #history #craft #sculpture #beautiful #materials #science #17thcentury #18thcentury #19thcentury #naturalhistory #medical #universityofamsterdam #utrechtuniversity #beeswax #color #colour #body #bodies #lifelike (bij Utrecht, Netherlands) https://www.instagram.com/p/Buo_uS1gTZO/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1esji8wljama6

Last post about my trip to Edinburgh last month! The Royal Botanic Garden was an absolute treat for our last day in town. If you ever visit, be sure to check out the glasshouses! They do not only house a plethora of beautiful plants, but they also showcase a history of glasshouse design, with the pre-Victorian Tropical Palm House (built in 1834), the Victorian Temperate Palm House (opened in 1858, and at 23 metres one of the tallest traditional palm houses in the world), and the Main Range (built in 1967). The glasshouses take you on a tour through ten climatic zones, including arid lands, montane tropics and rainforests. It's not exactly paintings in a museum, but fascinating heritage nonetheless! #botanicalgarden #plants #plant #nature #botanicalgardens #edinburgh #uk #scotland #royalbotanicgardens #garden #greenhouse #glass #design #architecture #19thcentury #victorian #victorianarchitecture #instatravel #gaytravel #heritage #culturalheritage #instagay #culture #botany #green #flower #flowers #beautiful #pretty #aesthetic (bij Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh) https://www.instagram.com/p/BtWq1zWgad7/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=5xnyj2t5p9iu

The Reticello Urn (2010) in the National Museum of Scotland by American glass artist Dante Marioni is an absolute highlight of technical excellence. The piece's name is derived from the traditional Venetian glass-making technique retichello. In this technique, canes of coloured glass are combined in a criss-cross pattern, forming an intricate grid of dark and more translucent glass. A by-effect of this technique is that a tiny bubble of air is trapped in each square of the grid. This creates a fascinating pattern that is beautiful from a distance as well as close-up! #technicalarthistory #art #glass #glassart #americanart #americanartist #contemporaryart #contemporaryartist #edinburgh #nationalmuseumofscotland #scotland #uk #museum #design #glassblowing #translucent #aesthetic #beautiful #gridpattern #darkglass #urn #artwork #artworks #complex #airbubble #artistsmaterials #museums #technique #craft #skill (bij National Museum of Scotland) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs3azENAH7F/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1w9npt8bopueb

It is always impressive to see how artworks sometimes have the ability to function as historical documents! This anonymous painting from around 1867 shows the original interior of the National Gallery in Edinburgh, as designed by Edinburgh painter-decorator D.R. Hay. If you look closely, you can see student-painters in the process of copying works from the Scottish national art collection, probably hoping that their work will also be featured on these walls one day. Apart from the walls now being red and a little less crowded, the interior of the National Gallery has not changed much. Even the 'Dutch weave' green carpet remains! What do you prefer in a museum: this kind of 'busy' Victorian aesthetic or a more 'clinical' modernist interior with whitewashed walls? #art #arthistory #painting #edinburgh #scotland #nationalgalleriesofscotland #uk #scottishart #scottishpainter #oilpainting #artist #aesthetic #interior #museum #museums #museuminterior #design #victorian #victorianstyle #victorianart #nineteenthcentury #nineteenthcenturyart #history #historicalsources #historicaldocuments #culturalheritage #style #beautiful #pretty #paintings (bij National Galleries of Scotland) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bsis_TgA6TT/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1rsecd1hoqfbf

Figure Studies with a Couple Embracing (c. 1627-1630) by Cornelis Cornelisz van Haarlem (1562-1638) is a so-called oil sketch. Oil skeches  started to become part of the artisanal practice in the first half of the 16th century and were widely in use by the first half of the 17th century. The function of these works was often that of a preparatory study or, in a more elaborate form, a concept for the approval of the commissioner (a 'modello'). This oil sketch is interpreted either as a model study for (re-)use of the pattern in a composition, or as study excercise for pupils to copy. Although in the 17th oil sketches were so popular that they were even produced as independent works (Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione was the first to do so), they never replaced the traditional sketch medium of drawing. They could even coexist in the same work: Castiglione often produced mixtures of drawings, oil finishes, gouaches and pen details - mostly on paper, just like this work. Why make an oil sketch? You would think that a drawing is more efficient, but skilled artists could easily create brushworks of this type in the same amount of time that it would take to create a drawing. It all seems to boil down to preference, so these works are extremely insightful for information about a commission and artisanal ideosyncrasies! #technicalarthistory #arthistory #art #oilpainting #paper #artonpaper #sketch #oilsketch #17thcentury #nudepainting #artist #artisticpractice #nude #culturalheritage #heritage #painting #paint #drawing #edinburgh #nationalgalleriesofscotland #scotland #uk #museum #museums #model #pattern #beautiful #modelstudy #studiopractice #trivia (bij National Galleries of Scotland) https://www.instagram.com/p/BsL7BOOAnA8/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1f9djep1dp6ou

Merry Christmas! Sadly, the Hull and East Riding Museum was closed when I was there last weekend, but posing with this cute toad sculpture next to the museum in the middle of Hull's Museum Quarter was fun as well! This mosaic-decorated toad was made by Sue Kershaw and has the title 'Reflective Colours'. The sculpture was made in 2010 as part of the Larkin with Toads project. The largest public art project that ever took place in Hull. The project was based on the poems 'Toads' and 'Toads Revisited', by writer, poet and librarian Philip Larkin (1922-1985). Larkin spent half his life in Hull and even became professor at the university in 1982, hence the special connection between Larkin and Hull! During Larkin with Toads, in 2010 from July 21 to September 25 the streets of Hull were decorated with 40 giant toad sculptures like this one, all decorated by different artists. The project was a big hit with locals as well as visitors and won several cultural prizes, showing how modern art projects like these can have a positive impact on a city as a whole! #modernart #sculpture #modernsculpture #toad #animalsculpture #outdoorart #artinstallation #contemporaryart #21stcenturyart #mosaic #mosaics #color #colors #colour #colours #colorful #colourful #amphibian #hull #uk #streetart #artist #culture #culturalheritage #art #cute #outdoorsculpture #museum #museums #project (bij Streetlife Museum of Transport) https://www.instagram.com/p/Br0MOB4AwBQ/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1ritliok1zjd9

On 13 May 2017 Hull's Holy Trinity Church was re-dedicated as the Hull Minister. In the Early Middle Ages the title of Minster could apply to any building where a clerical community lived and upheld the daily office of prayer. In the later Middle Ages, the importance of these places declined and the title became honorary and could be a more or less general indication of a large and/or important church. During this century the Church of England expanded the list of minsters by elevating existing churches to this status. The Hull Minster is one of these churches. Its building history dates back to c. 1300, making it the oldest brick-built building in the city. It is also one of the finest examples of late medieval masonry in the UK. Fun fact: the Hull Minster nearly escaped bombing by a zeppelin (the bomb hit the city of Hull nonetheless) on 7 June 1915 because the wind changed direction at the last moment. #hull #church #churchinterior #medievalchurch #middleages #stainedglass #stainedglassart #medievalart #uk #yorkshire #brickwork #oldchurch #christianart #art #trivia #fourteenthcentury #englishart #religiousart #religion #churchceiling #arthistory #architecture #architecturalhistory #medieval #worldwar1 #beautiful #aesthetic #culturalheritage #heritage (bij Hull Minster) https://www.instagram.com/p/Brvscvsgs3N/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=e65s77ard2zm

Christmas vibes going on in Hull today! #hull #uk #england #christmas #christmasshopping #winter #2018 #christmas2018 #christmaslights #smile #shopping #led #ledlights #dutch #dutchie #yorkshire #kingstonuponhull #holiday #holidays #merrychristmas #happyholidays (bij Kingston upon Hull) https://www.instagram.com/p/BrswQW9ASe-/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1x6qvuciu06ro

Busy doing archival work as part of my internship at the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands! I am working on a project about historical ink recipes and Dutch materia medica collections. Ingredients for ink (for example) were often used in pharmacy as well, hence me looking at these 18th-century documents regarding an Amsterdam doctor's collection. More results to follow! #technicalarthistory #research #researcher #academic #universityofamsterdam #conservationandrestoration #culturalheritage #instagay #18thcentury #archivalresearch #arttechnologicalsourceresearch #archive #oldbooks #oldbook #rce #student #scholar #internship #materiamedica #ink #university #reading #historicalsources #artistmaterials #artistsmaterials (bij Leiden, Netherlands) https://www.instagram.com/p/BqNe_MVAtBa/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1ey88x6ei3u6p

'Hansje in the Cellar' can be called a 17th-century baby shower tradition. The baby, 'Hansje', would normally be hidden under a lid in chalices like these. When wine was poured into the bowl, the baby would automatically pop up! In the 21st century something this would be considered a novelty item, but the fact that this is a highly ornamental chalice of solid silver shows how important the celebration of a forthcoming baby was in the 17th century. 'Hansje in the Cellar'. Silver drinking vessel by Jan Hermansz. van Ossevoort, 1623. Dordrechts museum. #technicalarthistory #arthistory #art #silver #chalice #silverchalice #17thcentury #17centuryart #silverart #preciousmetals #metalworking #metalwork #babyshower #tradition #dutch #dutchtradition #dutchart #dutchartist #beautiful #shiny #wine #drinkingvessel #noveltyitems #novelty #baby #artobject #dordrecht #dordrechtsmuseum #museum #netherlands (bij Dordrechts Museum) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bp4XUujAl62/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=46nbaz5s08wi

Currently on view at the Mauritshuis in the exhibition Royal Trust - Dutch Masters from British Country Houses is A Still Life with Flowers and Fruit Arranged on a Stone Plinth in a Garden (c. 1685) by Cornelis de Heem (1631-1695). The breath-taking realism with which De Heem painted this still life almost makes it possible to actually smell the flowers! The fresh, crisp appearence of the majority of the flowers forms a stark contrast with the almost cartoonish flatness of the orange anemones on the left. The most likely reason for their appearence is the discolouration of yellow lake pigment. The yellow lake - which is extremely prone to discolouration - would have been used as a glaze on top of the undermodelled paint. This would have given the anemones a depth and vibrancy of colour to match the other flowers. This is no reason to be sad however! The sign next to the painting tells that the natural course of time and subsequent decay of life is the theme of this painting. Some of the fruit is already rotting, and wild garden plants are reclaiming their place. The finality of the artist's materials is therefore a testament to what De Heem is trying to teach us. Discolouration of this kind cannot be undone, but it should not have to spoil a wonderful painting like this at all! #technicalarthistory #mauritshuis #royaltrust #arthistory #thehague #painting #oldmasterpaintings #dutcholdmasters #bouquet #stilllife #flowerstilllife #flowers #fruit #17thcentury #art #color #colors #discoloration #discolouration #conservationandrestoration #culturalheritage #lakepigment #yellowlake #paint #artistmaterials #museum #exhibition #artexhibition #dutchpainting #cornelisdeheem (bij Mauritshuis) https://www.instagram.com/p/BpiDI1lhims/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=xglxu0bpgzc0

If you ever visit the Swabian Castle in Trani it is easy to miss this little gem of a sculpture while trying to avoid the blistering sun in the central courtyard. Several of these small sculptured consoles indicate that a roof construction must have been present once. These types of architectural 'leftovers' are not strange for a castle. This castle was built by order of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II (1194-1250) between 1233 and 1249. Afterwards, the castle was repurposed and modified many times, such as in the early 1500s, when complete areas were demolished and newly constructed. Or consider the period 1860-1975, when the castle served as a prison and had to be adapted for that specific function. Only in 1998 was the castle restored to its current state. The figures of Adam and Eve depicted here are most likely part of the earliest design, as they are typical for the somewhat clunky Romanesque style. It is only in the Gothic style (e.g. the work of Nicola Pisano) that a development towards naturalism starts to become a central theme. The first half of the 13th century may seem a late dating for Romanesque sculpture, but it is not so strange if you consider that the Gothic style originated in France around the mid-12th century and that Trani is located all the way south in 'the heel of Italy'. #technicalarthistory #architecture #buildinghistory #castle #medievalart #13thcentury #13thcenturyarchitecture #medievalcastle #13thcenturyart #romanesque #romanesqueart #sculpture #stonesculpture #trani #puglia #southitaly #holyromanempire #romanesquesculpture #oldtestament #adamandeve #christianart #art #arthistory #stone #building #history #courtyard #religiousart #culturalheritage (bij Castello Svevo di Trani - Organizzazione Governativa) https://www.instagram.com/p/BpK6hu1CpNX/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=8h3uk1zs1n7u

One of the most impressing features of the Romanesque cathedral of Trani (construction started in 1099 and finished around 1200) are its late-12th century doors, made by local sculptor Barisano da Trani. The bronze panels on these monumental doors are cast in low-relief and show influences from Nordic sculpture. Barisano's compositions typically include hierarchically organised themes of redemption and cosmography. Particularly interesting is the conservation aspect of the doors. The original doors have been removed from the cathedral's entry and are now on display on the inside, offering better protection from the elements and people. The doors on the outside are exact replicas of the originals, which allows for up-close study of the iconographic and some technical aspects without putting the original doors in harm's way! #technicalarthistory #arthistory #bronze #trani #cathedral #church #churchdoor #bronzeart #culturalheritage #artconservation #conservationandrestoration #italy #puglia #art #romanesque #barisanodatrani #iconography #upclose #medievalart #12thcentury #bronzecasting #beautiful #monumental #doors #middleages #heritageconservation #heritage #green #replica #facsimile (bij Trani Cathedral) https://www.instagram.com/p/BoM958di7-1/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1rlbervdbhd6s