UCL - Scientific methods in Art History

[ARKM2320]

[15h] 4 credits

This course is not taught in 2007-2008

Teacher(s):

Language: English

Level: Second

Aims
Main themes
Content and teaching methods
Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Aims

The aim pursued is to learn how to read technical documents and how to interpret different results presented by a laboratory. This teaching is intended for students who want to be involved with technical examination of works of art. Examples are chosen in painting. The technical characteristics of a painting are relevant when it comes to an evaluation of authenticity, attribution, datation, state of conservation¿

Main themes

The field of application will be the Early Netherlandish Painting School (15th and 16th Centuries). During the last decennia this school of painting has attracted many scholars specialized in technical examination. An abundant litterature resulted, amounting to a sort of "history of art in the making".

Content and teaching methods

Contents for 2007-2008 : mainly considered are: radiography, ultraviolet fluorescence, infrared reflectography, micro-fluorescence-X and stereoscopic binocular microscopy. The immediate reading of the document is a first challenged; another challenge is the interpretation of the data and their implications for art history.

Teaching methods: lectures and practical sessions in the Laboratoire d'étude des ¿uvres d'art (practice in reading X rays, infrared reflectography, ultraviolet fluorescence¿).

Reading list: excerpts of: National Gallery, Technical Bulletin, London; Actes des Colloque pour l'étude du dessin sous-jacent et de la technologie dans la peinture, Louvain-la-Neuve/Leuven; J.-P. Mohen, L'Art et la Science. L'esprit des chefs d'¿uvre, Gallimard, 1998. Other Articles distributed in a portfolio.

Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Prerequisites : none.
Evaluation : oral examination (20 ), including a continuous evaluation whith a written report on the pratical sessions in the Laboratoire d'étude des ¿uvres d'art.
Support : student notes. A selective bibliography is distributed. This bibliography is commented.