Call for Papers : First announcement

SYMPOSIUM

FRENCH BRONZES: HISTORY, MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES OF BRONZE SCULPTURE IN FRANCE (16TH - 18TH C.)

VENUE: Musée du Louvre and Centre de Recherche et de Restauration des Musées de France (C2RMF), Paris, France

DATE: June 9-12, 2012

SCOPE
A three-day international symposium will be held at the Musée du Louvre and at the Centre de Recherche et de Restauration des Musées de France.

We are aiming to bring together a diverse group of specialists -- e.g., historians (of technology, art, trade, ideas), conservation scientists, curators, and conservator-restorers -- to engage in an inter-disciplinary exchange and to promote further research into the development and cross fertilization of ideas and technology related to the making of bronzes in France -- and by French artists abroad -- from the Renaissance to the 19th century.

TOPICS
The conference will focus primarily on the following three inter-related subject areas:
1. The origins and cross-fertilization of ideas and technology related to the making of bronzes in France between the Renaissance and the 18th century. This would include three types of perspectives: chronological, geographical and typological.
2. The production of specific sculptors and founders, or of specific works of art. While technical aspects would be mostly discussed, all approaches aiming at documenting the production modes will be much appreciated, including the diverse roles of those who had a hand in the making of bronze statuary (e.g., sculptors, founders, merchants, ...) and how this may have impacted stylistic and technical outcome.
3. Current state-of-the-art research methods and their application to multi-disciplinary studies. This would include historical and archaeological investigations, analytical studies of materials (e.g. metal, core and patina), as well as experimental reconstructions of metallurgical processes.

ORGANISING COMMITTEE
Genevieve Bresc-Bautier, musée du Louvre, France
David Bourgarit, C2RMF, France
Philippe Malgouyres, musée du Louvre, France
Jane Bassett, J. Paul Getty Museum, USA
Francesca Bewer, Harvard Art Museums, USA

REGISTRATION and SUBMISSION OF ABSTRACTS
Participants are invited to submit abstracts for oral or poster presentations before November 1st, 2011 (see http://frenchbronze.net ). The conference language will be English.

Authors will be informed of the acceptance of their contribution and the type of presentation (oral or poster) by February 28th, 2012.

A peer reviewed publication of the conference papers and poster presentations is planned to follow the conference. More information concerning the publication will be available in due course.

There will be no registration fee, but conference places may be limited, so early registration is recommended (see http://frenchbronze.net )

MORE DETAILS at http://frenchbronze.net

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Francesca G. Bewer
Research Curator, Straus Center for Conservation and Technical Studies
617-495-1643 fax 617-495-0322
francesca_bewerharvard.edu

Harvard Art Museums
32 Quincy Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
www.harvardartmuseums.org<http://www.harvardartmuseums.org>

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