The History of Art Department at the University of Malta has recently organised a series of international lectures by a number of leading foreign scholars in the field of art history.
The lectures, which dealt with topics associated with PhD research currently being undertaken by postgraduate students, were opened by Keith Sciberras, head of the History of Art Department.
The first lecture, held in March, revolved around Baroque sculpture and the question of movement, and was given by Nigel Llewellyn, who is currently head of research at the Tate Galleries.
He delved into the notion of movement through space and multiple viewpoints when viewing a sculptural work of art, a largely intriguing but sometimes little thought of facet of Baroque sculpture.
The second lecture, which was delivered by Donal Cooper from the University of Cambridge, dealt with a more specific aspect and was entitled ‘A sideways look at the Renaissance Altarpiece: Perugino, Raphael and Titian’.
Dr Cooper’s lecture analysed the execution of such works, especially by taking into consideration the original site of the works and their viewpoints.
Rather than taking the traditional approach, Dr Brosens questioned how such tapestries were possible
The third lecture by Roderick O’Donnell, architectural historian and Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, London, dealt with Augustus Welby Pugin as an architect to the Catholic Revival.
The fourth and final lecture concerned Malta more directly. Koenraad Brosens, from the University of Leuven, discussed in the most intriguing manner the Brussels Tapestries at St John’s Co-Cathedral.
Rather than taking the traditional approach and analysing their style and iconography, Dr Brosens posed the question: how were such tapestries possible?
A case study of two Flemish tapestries in Chicago was used to put the great undertaking of manufacturing the tapestries for St John’s Co-Cathedral into their proper perspective.
Following this, Dr Brosens expanded and introduced a new project he is currently involved in and which directly deals with social network analysis.
Although this approach, as he himself admitted, is not often favoured by art historians and has not been used in conjunction with art history before, it might be able to generate new questions and insights on the Brussels tapestry business.
Such an approach could also broaden the view, Dr Brosens said, and will also help us to rethink the history of tapestry design.
http://stjohnscocathedral.com/the-collections/flemish-tapestries.html
Marie Claire Finger is an MA History of Art student and print editor at Insite Malta.