Position at Rijksmuseum

PhD in Analytical Chemistry, Titanium dioxide white in modern
    artists' paints
Rijksmuseum Amsterdam

36 hours per week

Closing date: February 17, 2014

As the National Museum of Art and History of the Netherlands, the
Rijksmuseum holds canonical collections of Netherlandish fine and
applied arts and historical artefacts from the Middle Ages onwards,
supplemented by important holdings of other European and Asian arts.
Its principal function is to study, enhance and augment these
collections and to present them for the enjoyment and benefit of a
broad national and international audience.  The Rijksmuseum, which
is staffed by some 600 employees, was reopened on 13 April 2013
after an intensive refurbishment, and expects to attract over a
million visitors per year.

Summary: PhD position in Organometallic/Inorganic and Analytical
Chemistry Titanium dioxide white in modern artists' paints.

The Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, in collaboration with the Cultural
Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (RCE), the Technical University
of Delft (TUD) and AkzoNobel, are offering a PhD position in
conservation science.

Titanium dioxide white is at present the most important pigment used
in the paint industry.  Introduced in the 1920s, within decades it
has become a very important artist pigment, gradually replacing the
lead white that had been used since antiquity.  Titanium white is
photo-catalytically active, yet its destructive properties have been
successfully tackled by coating the individual pigment particles.
However, degradation phenomena such as chalking have been observed
in titanium white paints, in modern paintings as well as in
retouching paints used by conservators.  Visible changes also occur
in the course of time which may not be attributed to the white
pigment but to the binding medium and its propensity to attract and
imbibe dirt, or to yellow.

The research will focus on the use of the pigment in artists'
paints, the mid- and long term degradation mechanisms and visual
changes that may occur.

The candidate will work within the RCE research department and at
the TUD in collaboration with the Rijksmuseum research and
conservation staff.  Further collaboration will take place with
partner institutes and museums in the Netherlands and abroad, as
well as AkzoNobel.

Requirements: The successful candidate is a chemist with a
background in analytical surface chemistry, photochemistry, organic
chemistry and/or mass spectrometry, and an evident affinity to art
technology and conservation of cultural heritage.

For further information please contact dr. Klaas Jan van den Berg
<k.van.den.berg<-at->cultureelerfgoed<.>nl> or Prof. dr. Joris Dik
<j.dik<-at->tudelft<.>nl>

Appointment: Preferably the position will start 1 April 2014.  The
full-time appointment will be on a temporary basis for a maximum
period of four years (18 months plus a further 30 months after a
positive evaluation) and will lead to a dissertation (PhD thesis).
The candidate is expected to attend courses and (international)
meetings and to disseminate the research outcome to the conservation
field.  Based on a full-time appointment (36 hours per week) the
gross monthly salary will range from Euro 2.103,- in the first year
to Euro 2.665,- in the final year, according to the Dutch salary
scales for PhD students.  The collective labour agreement (CAO) for
independent national museums applies.

Job application: Interested applicants should email a Letter of
Motivation and CV to vacatures<-at->rijksmuseum<.>nl, quoting the vacancy
name in the subject line and arrange for two recommendation letters
to be sent to the same address.

The closing date for applications is February 17, 2014.
The interview will take place on Monday, March 10, 2014.


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 27:27
                Distributed: Saturday, December 21, 2013
                       Message Id: cdl-27-27-021
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