PhD studentship at Delft University of Technology

PhD in Technical Art History
Delft University of Technology
The Netherlands

Faculty/Department:  Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering

Level: Master Degree
Maximum employment: Maximum of 38 hours per week (1 FTE)
Duration of contract: 4 years full-time or 5 years part-time

Salary scale:  Euro 2042 to Euro2612 per month gross

Materials in Art and Archeology Within the Department of Materials
Science of the Delft University of Technology, the 'Materials in Art
and Archeology' section develops and applies ground-breaking,
analytical concepts for studying objects from cultural heritage. Our
expertise centres on the elemental and structural characterisation
of materials in support of technical art history and conservation of
art work. We have close collaboration with (inter)nationally leading
partners in the worlds of art, archaeology and science and bridge
the gap between the sciences and the humanities in both education
and research.

Job description: The candidate will work in the NWO-funded
Innovational Research Incentives Scheme Vidi project: From Isolation
to Coherence: an Integrated Technical, Visual and Historical Study
of 17th and 18th Century Dutch Painting Ensembles. This project
investigates 17th and 18th century Dutch paintings that were
commissioned for a specific location, as part of a large, decorative
ensemble. We investigate for the first time the materials,
production and history of treatment of these paintings and their
visual and cultural-historical aspects. We work with an
interdisciplinary team that combines art technological and (art)
historical research. The Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands
(RCE) is a partner in the project.

The PhD candidate will work on the technical and stylistic
developments in the so-called 'behangselschilderkunst'--the field of
painted wall-hangings. Over the course of the 17th century, there
developed in the Netherlands a trend to decorate houses with huge
paintings that largely or entirely covered the walls. These painted
wall-hangings were mainly produced for a specific location, with
their iconography and formal aspects (use of colour, light
incidence, composition, perspective) attuned to the architecture and
function of that chosen location. The large scale of these paintings
demanded material-technical adaptations from the painters. The aim
of the PhD research project is to investigate these
material-technical and stylistic developments. This will involve
several case studies on location, in close collaboration with the
other members of the project.

Requirements: Applicants should have the following qualifications:

    A Master's degree in the Conservation and Restoration of
    Paintings, or Conservation and Restoration of Historic
    Interiors, from a conservation training programme that confirms
    to ECCO/ENCoRE professional qualifications

    BA or MA degree in Art History.

    The candidate should have a proven ability (on the MA level) to
    carry out material-technical research and to link these
    scientific investigations to art historical research.

    We prefer a candidate with demonstrable knowledge of historical
    painting techniques and of the history of Dutch art and
    interiors of the 17th and 18th centuries.

    Ability to closely collaborate with the conservation scientist
    in the team.

    Affinity for art technological source research.

    Good social and organisational skills.

    Ability to work in an interdisciplinary team: a 'team player'

    Passive) knowledge of the Dutch language.

Conditions of employment The candidate will work both at TU Delft
and at the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (RCE;
Amsterdam). TU Delft offers an attractive benefits package,
including a flexible work week, free high-speed Internet access from
home (with contracts of two years or longer), and the option of
assembling a customised compensation and benefits package (the
'IKA').

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour
Agreement for Dutch Universities.

Information and application For more information about this
position, please contact

    Dr. M.H. van Eikema Hommes
    m.h.vaneikemahommes<-at->tudelft<.>nl

To apply, please send the following materials:

    A detailed CV
    A letter of application
    Your grades
    A summary of your MA thesis and list of publications (if any)
    The names and contact data of three professional references,
    written in English.

Please e-mail your application materials by 14 May 2012 to
application-3mE<-at->tudelft<.>nl

When applying for this position, please refer to
vacancy number 3ME12-13.


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