RKD Netherland Institute for art History
The RKD maintains a great many archives of artists, art historians, collectors, art dealers and galleries. In this masterclass participants will learn how to read archival inventories and will become familiar with various kinds of art-historical source material, such as correspondence, artists' files, dealers' inventories and stock books. What information do these sources contain, and how can this be used in art-historical research? One of the case studies involves reading the stock books of nineteenth-century art dealers Goupil and E.J. van Wisselingh. Other themes are Abraham Bredius’s archival notes and Piet Mondrian’s letters.
The attribution of works of art has been part of art history since its early beginnings. It is often difficult to see the difference between the hand of an artist and that of a pupil or follower. Deliberate forgeries can also be misleading. Recognising the hand and establishing the truth begins with careful looking. In this masterclass, participants will learn to make a thorough visual analysis of works of art (by among others Paul Bril, Jan van Goyen, Jan Steen and Han van Meegeren), and to summarise their findings, in order to offer a balanced opinion on the possible attribution or authenticity of a work of art.
Doing a search in RKD Explore is always a good way to make a start on research within the RKD's collections. This masterclass provides insight into the contents of the eight databases and how they are related. Students are introduced to the various search options available, including the use of filters. In order to get to grips with the system and to learn how to interpret results correctly, they are then asked to retrieve certain pieces of information from the databases. This master class is available until 31 December 2023.
The RKD manages numerous archives containing technical research documentation by renowned researchers, such as X-ray films, infrared reflectography, paint sample documentation and dendrochronological reports. In this master class, students are introduced to a variety of technical research data, the RKDtechnical database and will also receive an introduction to common technical research techniques in early modern painting. Our principle is that technical research is not an end, but a means within (art-historical) research.