Van der Weyden Chair - Paul en Dora Janssen
As of this academic year, Illuminare - Centre for the Study of the Illuminated Manuscript is the holder of the Paul and Dora Janssen Chair. In February and March a seminar entitled Studies in Manuscript Illumination was organized, led by Professor James Marrow, the authority in the field of late medieval illuminated art.
Seminar: Studies in Manuscript Illumination
By Professor James H. Marrow -- Princeton University (U.S.A) & Fitzwilliam Museum - Cambridge (G.B.)
Content: A seminar focussing on problems and methods in the study of Southern Netherlandish manuscript illumination of the late Middle Ages (15th-16 th centuries).
Topics to be treated include the historiography of Flemish manuscript illumination, patronage, patterns and methods of book production, book types, relations to other media (panel painting, printing) and among different national traditions. The period was one of the most exuberant in the history of the hand-produced book. We shall therefore pay special attention to innovations in book design during this period and to their implications for our understanding of the dynamics of textual and pictorial meaning in illuminated manuscripts. In addition to discussions, the course will include visits to collections to study original manuscripts (e.g. Koninklijke Bibliotheek van België, Handschriftenafdeling).
Requirements: Beside participation in class discussions and trips, the major requirement will be to produce an original research paper in a language of your choice (Dutch, French, German or English) on a particular manuscript or manuscript problem (topics to be defined individually in coordination with Professor Marrow).
Readings: Students should read or otherwise familiarize themselves with three books before commencing the course: (1) Marina Belozerskaya, Rethinking the Renaissance : Burgundian Arts across Europe, Cambridge, U.K., and New York, Cambridge University Press, 2002; (2) Maurits Smeyers, Vlaamse miniaturen van de 8ste tot het midden van de 16de eeuw: de
Middeleeuwse wereld op perkament, Leuven, 1998 (published also in French,
German and English-language editions); (3) Thomas Kren and Scot McKendrick, Illuminating the Renaissance: The Triumph of Flemish Manuscript Painting in Europe, exhibition catalogue, The J. Paul Getty Museum and the Royal Academy of Arts, Los Angeles, 2003.
Target group: Doctoral students of Art History, Master students (Licentiaat) of Art History, Students of Medieval and Renaissance studies
Practicalities: The seminar will be organized from the 7 th of February until the 11 th of March (early second semester). There will be no classes during the week from the 14th till 18 th of February. The seminar is programmed as an optional subject (4 credits).
It is an exceptional opportunity that professor James Marrow, the world authority in the field of late medieval book illumination, will teach at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. The number of participants is limited to 15, to allow for personal contact and the visiting of several book collections. It is for this reason that a letter from all participants is required with a personal motivation, addressed to:
jan.vanderstock@arts.kuleuven.ac.be
To be mentioned are:
1. Antecedents (study programs, topics of research)
2. Motivation |
