Category: Research

Christie's Provenance Grant

June 24 2025

Image of Christie's Provenance Grant

Picture: Christie's

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

Christie's are inviting applications for their 2025 Grant for Nazi-era Provenance Research.

According to their website:

Christie’s is delighted to announce the third year of the Christie’s Grant for Nazi-era Provenance Research, supporting the next generation of provenance researchers in this field. The grant will be offered to four recipients (£5,000 each), to fund forward-thinking academic, post-graduate research into subjects related to Nazi-era provenance research and restitution.

In addition, Christie’s will offer two grants of £2,000 each to undergraduates who are studying the Nazi era and restitution-related topics, and who may be considering a future career or study in this area, with a view to deepening their interest in the subject.

Applications must be in by 30th June 2025.

The Dutch Americas - Art Histories of the Atlantic World

June 23 2025

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

The recently published The Netherlands Yearbook for History of Art 2025, Volume 75, is dedicated to the subject of The Dutch Americas - Art Histories of the Atlantic World.

Here's a list of the contents for this volume:

Wallace Collection Treasures in High-Definition

June 20 2025

Image of Wallace Collection Treasures in High-Definition

Picture: The Wallace Collection via. Google Arts

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

Exciting news for those of us who like to Zoom into digital images of paintings In infinitum. The Wallace Collection in London have just announced that a large selection of their treasures are now on Google Arts. Alongside the copious 'digital exhibition' material you'll find are very high-definition images of their paintings. This is a real step-up from the images available on their website. This is a detail of the earlobe and hair from Rembrandt's Self Portrait of c. 1637.

Just for fun, and to test the connoisseurship of readers of AHN, can anyone guess who painted the detail below?

Update - Congratulations to an AHN reader called Jonathan who was the first to spot the feather of Vigée Le Brun's portrait of Madame Perregaux.

Update II - Bendor adds: sharp-eyed visitors to the Google site will note that there is no (C) symbol anywhere by the Wallace's pictures. This is because Google recognises, correctly, that there is no copyright in US or UK law in faithful reproductions of out-oc-copyright artworks. The Wallace Collection, unlike a number of UK institutions (including Tate) continues to assert copyright in its images on its own website, incorrectly. There are a number of tools available online that will let you download a high res image from the Google site. Art historians might like to know that they will be free to reproduce in any format you like.

New Maria Cosway Book

June 19 2025

Image of New Maria Cosway Book

Picture: Unicorn

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

The publishers Unicorn have just this week released a new biography on Maria Cosway. The book was penned by Diane Boucher.

According to the blurb:

The beautiful Anglo-Italian artist Maria Cosway was one of the most talented and dynamic women active in Regency England, but one whose achievements have been largely overlooked. Born in Florence in 1760, she was acclaimed at an early age as both a painter and a musician. She exhibited forty-one paintings at the Royal Academy summer exhibition between 1781 and 1801, and hosted regular musical soirées at the Pall Mall house she shared with her husband, Richard Cosway. They were attended by the political and cultural elite of London. Maria’s extraordinary network of connections to the great and the good of the late-eighteenth and early-nineteenth centuries, included friendships with, among others, Thomas Jefferson, the Prince of Wales, Pasquale Paoli, the artist Jacques-Louis David, the opera singer Luigi Marchesi, the Duchess of Devonshire, the actress and writer Mary Robinson, and members of the Bonaparte family. Estranged from her husband by 1801, Maria Cosway largely gave up painting and reinvented herself as a progressive educator, founding schools for young women: first in Lyon, later in Lodi, Italy. In recognition of her achievements at Lodi, the Emperor of Austria made her a baroness.

Research the Collections of the Henry Moore Foundation

June 16 2025

Image of Research the Collections of the Henry Moore Foundation

Picture: Henry Moore Foundation

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

The Henry Moore Foundation are hiring a Collections Researcher.

According to the job description:

The Collections Researcher will support the Senior Curator of Collections & Research with the delivery of the Foundation’s research activities. Your duties will include researching artworks for the catalogue raisonné, in tandem with handling our research and review enquiry services; supporting the Foundation’s programme of scholarly events; contributing content to our digital platforms and other outlets; preparing information for publications; coordinating archive research visits and offering research support.

The job comes with an annual salary of £28,000 and applications must be in by 7th July 2025.

Good luck if you're applying!

Peregrine Tyam reidentified in Claydon House Portrait

June 13 2025

Image of Peregrine Tyam reidentified in Claydon House Portrait

Picture: Claydon House via. britishartstudies.ac.uk

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

The Paul Mellon Centre's latest online edition of British Art Studies features this rather fascinating extended article by Hannah Lee entitled “Your Most Obedient and Faithful Servant”: Peregrine Tyam and the Representation of Black Sitters in Early Modern British Portraiture. In particular, the piece examines a painting at Claydon House, owned by the Verney family, which research has revealed not only depicts Mary Lawley but also Peregrine Tyam, a black boy who has been reidentified thanks to some rather interesting archival research. Click on the link to read the full story.

Gilbert Spencer Online Catalogue

June 13 2025

Image of Gilbert Spencer Online Catalogue

Picture: gilbertspencercatalogue.org

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

Exciting news that Gilbert Spencer R.A. (1892-1979), the brother of Stanley Spencer, has been treated to a new online catalogue (which is completely free to access too, I might add!). It features 654 artworks at present and will be updated reguarly with new additions.

Here's who is behind project:

This online catalogue is the first attempt to bring together all known oil paintings by Gilbert Spencer, as well as a large selection of his works on paper. It has been created in conjunction with the acquisition of the Gilbert Spencer archive by Arts University Bournemouth, and the subsequent publication of the first monograph on Gilbert Spencer by Professor Paul Gough (with contributions by Sacha Llewellyn and Amanda Bradley Petitgas), Gilbert Spencer: The Life and Work of a Very English Artist (Yale University Press, 2024). The project has been directed by Professor Paul Gough, with content by Dr Amy Lim and website design and build by Rich Tarr. It has been generously funded by a grant from the Research and Knowledge Exchange Committee at Arts University Bournemouth.

As is the custom on AHN, this project wins the organisers a place within the much coveted 'Heroes of Art History' section of this blog.

Recent Release: How Images Mean - Iconography and Meta-Iconography

June 13 2025

Image of Recent Release: How Images Mean - Iconography and Meta-Iconography

Picture: Paul Holberton

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

The Warburg Scholar Paul Taylor has a new book out this month entitled How Images Mean: Iconography and Meta-Iconography. The volume has been published by Paul Holberton.

According to the book's blurb:

This groundbreaking study interrogates a rich and diverse repertoire of images from all over the world to answer the fundamental question: how are the meanings of images assigned, conveyed and recognized?  

Combining art history, anthropology, philosophy and linguistics, the book expands the field of traditional iconography, which explains what images mean, by introducing new, useful categories that enable us to understand how images mean (meta-iconography). In his study of iconography from a century ago Erwin Panofsky famously discussed what an “Australian bushman” might make of Leonardo’s Last Supper: though unaware of the religious story, the Aboriginal viewer would have known it was a picture of humans eating a meal together. Paul Taylor’s book argues that this gets the question the wrong way round. We only know the painting depicts people at supper if we know it represents a supper. It is through knowing the cultural context that we can interpret the contents of an image. Universal in scope and profoundly topical at a time when artificial intelligence is redefining our visual horizon, this book represents a resource for scholars in a variety of fields and a thought-provoking read for all those interested in art.

Teach Islamic Art at University of Cambridge

June 13 2025

Image of Teach Islamic Art at University of Cambridge

Picture: University of Cambridge

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

The University of Cambridge are hiring an Assistant Professor in Islamic Art (ca. 1500-ca. 1700) of the Safavid and/or Mughal Empires.

According to their website:

The Department of History of Art at the University of Cambridge seeks to appoint a permanent Assistant Professor in Islamic Art (ca. 1500-ca.1700) of the Safavid and/or Mughal Empires. The Department welcomes applications from specialists in all mediums of art, including painting and the book arts, metalwork, ceramics, sculpture, and architecture. The successful candidate will be expected to take up appointment on or close to 1 October 2025. [...]

The successful applicant will have a unique opportunity to help shape the Department's future. The postholder will contribute significantly to the new MPhil in the Global History of Art and Architecture, launching in 2026-27. To support this programme, the Department is recruiting for permanent posts in Late Imperial Chinese Art and African and Caribbean Modern and Contemporary Art. The successful applicant will be required to teach and examine undergraduates, and to supervise and examine postgraduate work for the MPhil and PhD. It is anticipated that there will be opportunities to collaborate with colleagues across the University, including at the Fitzwilliam Museum (in which Islamic art is well represented) and the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies.

The job comes with a salary between £46,735-£59,139 and applications must be in by 29th June 2025.

Good luck if you're applying!

Curatorial Traineeship at Kunsthalle Karlsruhe

June 10 2025

Image of Curatorial Traineeship at Kunsthalle Karlsruhe

Picture: Kunsthalle Karlsruhe

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

The Kunsthalle Karlsruhe are inviting applications for their rather generous-sounding Curatorial Traineeship programme beginning in September 2025. Based in the collections and scientific departments, this paid position straddles many of the museum's core operations and will last for two years. Applications must be in by 13th June 2025.

Funded PhDs to Study Classical Architecture at Cambridge

June 4 2025

Image of Funded PhDs to Study Classical Architecture at Cambridge

Picture: cam.ac.uk

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

The University of Cambridge are inviting applications for two fully funded doctoral studentships to study Classical Architecture at the Ax:son Johnson Centre for the Study of Classical Architecture (CSCA).

According to their website:

The award(s) will be held in either the Department of History of Art or the Department of Architecture, which jointly form the Faculty of Architecture and History of Art. The projects will be supervised by one of: Dr Frank Salmon (CSCA Director); Assistant Director Dr Elizabeth Deans (CSCA Assistant Director); and Professor James Campbell.

The successful candidate(s) will have defined their own topics and questions, appropriate to the primary research material available and to the research interests, broadly defined, of one of the three specified supervisors (who should be named in the application), as well as to the CSCA mission statement.

Given the international range of classical architecture of the past 600 years, visual and archival research may involve travel and time spent abroad, for which official permission from the University to Work Away would be needed, in addition to the agreement of the Centre’s Director.

Applications must be in by 20th June 2025.

Good luck if you're applying!

New Release: Charles-Paul Landon

June 4 2025

Image of New Release: Charles-Paul Landon

Picture: mare et martin

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

News from the French publishers mare et martin that a new volume on the painter and art critic Charles-Paul Landon (1760-1826) has just been released (spotted via @mweilc). The publication, written by Katell Martineau, appears to focus on both his painterly and written works.

Latest Burlington Edition

June 4 2025

Image of Latest Burlington Edition

Picture: burlington.org.uk

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

June's edition of The Burlington Magazine is filled with quite a few interesting discoveries this month.

Here's a list of the main article contained within:

Art and diplomacy: the embassy of Edward Montagu, 1st Earl of Sandwich, to Spain and Portugal (1666–68) - By Angela Delaforce

Ribera’s philosophers from the Alcalá collection - By Florent de Vernejoul

Two royal portraits by Reynolds rediscovered in Kassel - By Justus Lange,Martin Spies

A rediscovered painting by Sofonisba Anguissola - By Michael Cole

An unpublished letter by Sir Joshua Reynolds - By Giovanna Perini Folesani

Guardi and the English tourist: a postscript - By Francis Russell

A newly discovered early photograph of Camille Claudel - By Sue Bucklow

Howard Burns (1939–2025)

New release: Beyond Adornment - Jewelry and Identity in Art

May 29 2025

Image of New release: Beyond Adornment - Jewelry and Identity in Art

Picture: yalebooks.co.uk

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

Yale Books and the J. Paul Getty Museum have this month released a new book on Beyond Adornment - Jewelry and Identity in Art. The volume was written by Yvonne J. Markowitz and Susanne Gänsicke.

Here's the blurb:

Artistic renderings of the human figure—in portraiture, sculpture, and other media—in a range of allegorical, historical, and religious images often showcase jewelry. The ornaments depicted in such designs offer an abundance of information that not only heightens our understanding of the subject but also provides insights into the imagination of the artist. Jewelry enhances our enjoyment of works of art because it is visually compelling, sensuous, and laden with an array of associations and symbolic meanings.

Bringing together spectacular and significant art objects depicting figures wearing sumptuous personal adornments that define who they are within the specific milieus in which they lived, this richly illustrated and accessible volume represents a novel, interdisciplinary approach to the ways in which jewelry can be studied and understood.

Curate Ottoman Collections in Qatar

May 28 2025

Image of Curate Ottoman Collections in Qatar

Picture: Qatar Museums

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

The Qatar Museums are hiring a Curator for Ottoman Lands.

According to their website:

Roles and responsibilities:
-Assist with day-to-day documentation and research of the collection
-Responsible for all curatorial matters relating to the Ottoman world.
-Contribute to (temporary and permanent) display and exhibition development.
-Handle public queries, Educational and Communication Division requests, and scholarly requests.
-Must be able to work within a team, be flexible and self-motivated. Liaise with museum conservators, registrars and other colleagues on a regular basis.
-Other activities as requested by the Deputy Director of Curatorial Affairs. 

Curiously, there is no salary or closing date indicated. Do get in touch if you've found this important information somewhere...

Good luck if you're applying!

Upcoming Release: The Art Market and the Museum

May 28 2025

Image of Upcoming Release: The Art Market and the Museum

Picture: bloomsbury.com

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

Bloomsbury will be publishing the interestingly titled The Art Market and the Museum: Institutional Collecting, Display and Patronage since the Mid-Nineteenth Century next month. The volume was edited by Frances Fowle and MaryKate Cleary.

According to the publisher's website:

This book considers how art market stakeholders, including art dealers, collectors and agents, have shaped museum collections and affected exhibition practices since the mid-nineteenth century. Based on new archival research and data analysis, it explores the role of dealers not only in selling directly to museums, but in influencing museum collecting priorities, as well as potential donors. It also examines the important but hitherto overlooked contribution of the female curator-agent.

The book is divided into three sections, which address the relationship between art dealers and museums, women as art agents and influencers, and the strategies of entrepreneurial collectors. Featuring contributions from a wide range of international specialists in the market for decorative arts and antiquities, as well as European modernism, The Art Market and the Museum explores the origins and development of the modern Western art market and the global art networks that operated not only in Paris, London and New York, but in cities such as Glasgow, Vienna, Melbourne and Kansas City. It is perfect reading for scholars and researchers on the history of the art market, museum studies and art history more broadly.

Bader Collection Online

May 27 2025

Image of Bader Collection Online

Picture: Agnes Etherington Art Centre

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

News from the Agnes Etherington Art Centre at Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, that the Bader collection has been uploaded online. The entire collection is now searchable via the museum's website.

According to their website:

The Bader Collection is the strongest holding of Old Masters in any Canadian university art gallery, and the most comprehensive collection of authenticated paintings by Rembrandt van Rijn and his circle in any institution within Canada. Comprised of over 500 paintings, sculptures and works on paper that span the fourteenth through the mid-nineteenth centuries, the collection contributes fundamentally to the study and enjoyment of early modern European art in Canada and abroad.

A result of the highly discerning eye of Dr Alfred Bader (1924-2018), The Bader Collection has brought international stature and renown to Agnes’s collections.

Help with Research at Tate

May 21 2025

Image of Help with Research at Tate

Picture: Tate

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

Tate are looking to hire a Research Assistant (part time).

According to their website:

We are looking for a detail-oriented individual with excellent organisational skills to support the Managing Editor with the delivery of Tate’s peer-reviewed online journal, Tate Papers. Demonstrating excellent written and verbal communication skills as well as a broad knowledge of digital platforms, you will fact-check and copy-edit research texts and upload them to the Tate website.

You will also be responsible for updating the Tate Research webpages and supporting the Managing Editor to create and deliver content for social media and newsletters.

This role requires a meticulous individual who can effectively manage deadlines and is passionate about art, its history and sharing research online. 

This part-time role comes with a salary of £15,764 per annum (FTE £31,527) and applications must be in by 27th May 2025.

Good luck if you're applying!

Reminder: Burlington Prize for Southern Netherlandish Art 1400-1800

May 20 2025

Image of Reminder: Burlington Prize for Southern Netherlandish Art 1400-1800

Picture: Burlington

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

A reminder that the application deadline for the Burlington Magazine and the University of Cambridge's new Prize for Research on Southern Netherlandish Art 1400-1800 will be upon us soon.

A reminder of the details:

Established to inspire the development and publication of innovative object-based scholarship, the winning entrant will receive a prize of £1,000, with publication in The Burlington Magazine’s annual issue dedicated to Northern European Art, plus a one year print and digital subscription.

We seek previously unpublished essays of 1000–1500 words from early career scholars worldwide.

This is defined as within 15 years of their most recent post-graduate degree. Submissions should be in English and should include candidate’s CV, all as a single PDF.

Applications must be in by 1st September 2025.

V&A Doctoral Placements

May 20 2025

Image of V&A Doctoral Placements

Picture: V&A

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

The Victoria and Albert Museum in London are advertising 14 doctoral placements which start in the autumn. According to their website 'V&A Doctoral Placements are only open to students currently studying on a funded PhD.'

Here are a list of the projects available:

-Cataloguing a Contemporary Music Archive
-Cataloguing Printed Scores and Libretti in the Bunnett Muir Musical Theatre Trust Archive
-Craft and Natural Materials in Exhibition Design
-Developing a Digital Research Repository for the V&A
-Developing Frameworks for Born-Digital and Hybrid Collections
-Henry Cole’s travel diaries: knowledge, acquisitions and networks
-Investigating Functional and Multi-Sensory Objects in the Young V&A Collection
-Ludwig Gruner: Art Advisor to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Cataloguing and contextualising a collection of drawings and photographs
-Methodologies of audience-led collections research with children, young people and families
-Provenance Research on Ethiopian Objects
-Provenance Research on Southeast Asian Art Collections at the V&A
-Provenance Research on the NAL’s Acquisition of German Books During the Nazi Era
-Surveying and Cataloguing Roger Fenton’s Photography Collection
-Zero Waste Approaches to Exhibition Making

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