Special Session 18

Throughout western Europe are numerous examples of medieval and Renaissance paintings and polychrome sculptures, some remaining on site and others now divorced from their origins in collections worldwide. Dating from the long Middle Ages and early modern period, many works are effectively orphaned and unprovenanced. With the absence of attributed authors and of contemporary documentation, the objects themselves, and the marks on them, form the basis of our understanding. New technologies allowing the careful measurement of all types of marks and morphologies enable a deeper knowledge of original artistic form, function and intention, workshop practice, and attribution, as well as trade, ownership and religious practices.

We welcome contributions exploring the use of novel methods in measuring marks and morphology on works of art, the use of statistical data in analysing medieval/early modern art, applications of machine learning, AI and multispectral imaging techniques, and the art historical and technical outcomes of metrological approaches as applied to the art of the Middle Ages and Renaissance.

Please note that relevant papers from outside the specified period are also encouraged.

Dr. Lucy Wrapson, is a senior conservator at the Hamilton Kerr Institute, Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge. Lucy has a wide interest in the pigments and media of painting, and in the methods used in their analysis and interpretation. Her research interests centre on the technical study of medieval painting, especially English and Italian art of the Middle Ages and also on Romano-Egyptian art.

Dr. Kristin Kausland, is a senior conservator at the Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research, Norway. Kristin’s research interests are mainly focused on questions of attribution, artists’ workshops, regional traditions and trade of artists’ materials. Her recent research has focussed on art technological aspects of 15 - 16th Century art and Hanseatic trade.