Is this the world's most macabre art gallery?

History of Art Department research student Carlo Avilio is quoted in an online article about the series of frescoes in the catacombs of San Gaudioso in Naples. The article concerns in particular the costumed skeletons which were painted around the skulls of interred nobles embedded in the walls.

Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellow Amanda Sciampacone was invited to speak about applying for the Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship in a workshop on Research Grants held at the School of Arts, Birkbeck, University of London. The event took place on March 1st.

Splendour! Art in Living Craftsmanship.

This exhibition celebrated the eightieth anniversary of the Georgian Group. Founded in 1937, the Group is a national charity dedicated to preserving Georgian buildings, gardens and landscapes between 1700-1840 in England and Wales. The exhibition featured over forty artists, craftsmen and architects who work in the Georgian classical tradition. Works on display included examples of pietra dure, scagliola, coade stone, stucco work, wood and stone carving, painted wallpapers and architects drawings.

The catalogue was edited by History of Art PhD student Adam Busiakiewicz, who wrote all of the catalogue entries and contributed an essay to the publication.

Adam is especially interested in the history and former collection of the Earls of Warwick and their ancestral home Warwick Castle. His research focuses on the life of Anne Greville, 4^th Countess of Warwick, who presided over the restoration of the castle in the late nineteenth century.

History of Art PhD student Carlo Avilio recently delivered his paper Portents of Nature: Jusepe de Ribera and the Bearded Woman at the conference Laboratorium Neapel. Plurale Stilbildung, Künstlerkonkurrenz und Wirkungsästhetik in der neapolitanischen Barockmalerei. The conference was held at Museum Wiesbaden to coincide with the major exhibition Caravaggio’s Heirs. Baroque in Naples.

The photograph shows Carlo with Elisabeth Oy-Marra, professor in history of art at Mainz University, co-organizer of the exhibition and conference.

Going round in circles: a problem for colour theory.

Since the early eighteenth century, painters have used the colour wheel, and related diagrams, to predict how colours will mix, to organise them in graduated sequences and contrasting pairs, and to arrange them in harmonious combinations. Artists, along with scientists and philosophers, have also used colour diagrams to set out the relations possible between colours, or the full variety colour can assume. But, although such diagrams are powerful heuristic and logical tools, they embody some significant misconceptions, and create a good deal of confusion, about colour. Drawing on arguments put forward by the philosopher, Wittgenstein, this paper will examine how they fudge or misrepresent the phenomenology, categorisation, and ‘space’ of colour – and the consequences of their doing so for art.

Open to all, free admission.

Thursday 23rd February 2017

5:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Research Forum Seminar Room, The Courtauld Institute of Art, Somerset House, Strand, London, WC2R 0RN

Staff and students were recently offered an opportunity to introduce their teaching and research to a wider audience by contributing labels for works of art in the new Oculus building. Charlotte has selected the screen print Constable Willow 2 by Andrew Carter, drawing a comparison between the approach of Leon Underwood, the subject of her research, and that of Carter, mentioning in particular, Underwood’s work on trees while serving with Royal Engineers Camouflage Division during World War One.

Dr Karen Lang has recently returned from Moscow where she delivered a lecture entitled 'The German Past and the Painter's Hope: Gerhard Richter at the Jewish Museum, Moscow'. The event took place on 26th January at the Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center.

Our photo (right) shows Karen with Liya Chechik, Director of Education at the Museum. Liya studied for her History of Art MA here in the Department just a few years ago.

Missing Venice or looking forward to heading there this autumn? Tune in to our colleague from Classics, Dr Michael Scott, on BBC iPlayer.

Welcome back to all all students, including those returning from Venice. We wish you all a great start to the new term and academic year. I particularly look forward to meeting first year and diploma students during our Welcome Reception next week on Thursday 19th January from 5-6.30 pm in the Millburn House Foyer (at the side of the building).

Louise Bourdua, Head of Department