Art History: Technical Art History, Making and Meaning (Taught)

The Masters focuses on the act of making and everything that encompasses: materials, techniques, intentions, context and concept. You will study treatises and other testimonies on artistic practice and reconstruct historical recipes and modern techniques to understand artists' materials, practices and aesthetic choices. You will develop transferable skills and a thorough understanding of the science and conservation that supports the interpretation of artworks. You will learn about the change and preservation of cultural heritage, as well as exploring issues of authenticity. Technical art history is an exciting and rapidly growing field involving art historians, scientists and conservators, which also branches out to economics, social history and philosophy.

WHY THIS PROGRAMME

• You will study objects and artefacts, interacting with professionals and academics from the Hunterian Museum & Art Gallery, Glasgow Museums, National Galleries of Scotland, as well as national and international institutions linked to research projects at the Kelvin Centre.

• You will be part of the Kelvin Centre for Conservation and Cultural Heritage Research. Our research and training facilities include photography, microscopy, UV imaging, Infra-Red Reflectography, FTIR, pXRF, Raman, HPLC, RTI, contact profilometers, uniaxial and biaxial tensile testers, ageing ovens (thermal and light), 3D printing and dyeing.

• You will have access to the Hunterian Study Centre at Kelvin Hall, offering an exceptional opportunity for research-led, object-based learning and cross-disciplinary research.

• You have the opportunity to complete a work placement, where you can explore a possible future career while meeting professional practitioners and developing your skills and experience.

• You will benefit from guest speakers from technical art history, conservation, artist studios and the museum profession: broadening your horizons, offering you networking opportunities, and research contacts.

• You will participate in reconstruction workshops of painting techniques, as well as workshops on the reconstruction of pigment recipes and scientific examination techniques.

• You can take a study trip to Amsterdam, London, Madrid or Munich, visiting major museums and their conservation studios and research labs, as well as research institutions working in the field of technical art history.

PROGRAMME STRUCTURE
Drawing upon the expertise of an interdisciplinary team, the programme includes taught and research components. You will take five core courses and one optional course, followed by a period of object-based research towards a dissertation.

Core Courses
RESEARCH METHODS AND SKILLS
ART IN THE MAKING: HISTORICAL TECHNIQUES
ART IN THE MAKING: MODERN & AVANT-GARDE TECHNIQUES
THE AUTHENTIC ART WORK: INTERPRETATION, CONSERVATION, PRESENTATION.
TESTIMONIES ON ARTISTS' PRACTICE: DOCUMENTARY AND VISUAL SOURCES

Work Placement
Students complete a work placement as part of the programme, and to date, we have been able to provide placements for all students, as this is the usual and preferred option. However, as an alternative, students may take a suitable course from those offered by the College of Arts & Humanities, subject to availability and the approval of the programme convenor.

Dissertation
DISSERTATION

CAREER PROSPECTS
The programme will enable you to work with collections within cultural heritage organisations, or in a commercial environment in the fields of technical art history, curation and collections care. The programme will also prepare you for a further postgraduate education in conservation or academic research.