Under One Roof: Sharing Space and Expertise in Artists’ Workshops, 1300-1600

Inspired by the recent exhibitions “Verrocchio, il Maestro di Leonardo” (2019) and “Della Robbia: Sculpting with Color in Renaissance Florence” (2016-17), this call aims to gather scholars investigating the distribution of knowledge, skills, and responsibilities within European artists’ workshops (ca. 1300-1600).

The examples of the Della Robbia and Verrocchio shops demonstrate that artists working under the same roof performed a range of activities to satisfy the expectations of their patrons. At any given time, these individuals might differ significantly in the level of their training and/or the nature of their specialized expertise. Their collaboration – when successful – ensured a high quality product, timely production, and, perhaps, the protection of the workshop’s trade secrets. How did the Renaissance workshop create and manage internal talent to secure these outcomes?

Papers proposed for this panel might address (but are not limited to) the following topics:

- Transfers of knowledge and skills within a single workshop
- Responsibilities of the head of the workshop and the division of labor based on level of training or experience
- Collaboration and/or exchange across media (e.g., sculpture, painting, drawing, metalworking), including the translation of common iconographies and motifs
- Workshop trademarks and secrets
- Agreement and conflict in artists’ collaborations
- Role of modern technical analysis in illuminating workshop production

Please email a title, abstract of 150 words, and a CV to Catherine Kupiec (ckupiecnd.edu) and Zuzanna Sarnecka (z.sarneckauw.edu.pl) by July 25, 2019. Include your full name, email address, current affiliation, and PhD completion date.