Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Early Modern Art History,
AORUM project (2022-2025).

Funded by the ANR (Agence Nationale de la Recherche), the AORUM project (‘Analyse de l’OR et de ses Usages comme Matériau pictural (Europe, XVIe-milieu du XVIIe siècle)’ / ‘Analysis of gold and its uses as a painting material (Europe, 16th – 17th c.)’) is led by Romain Thomas (HAR, Université Paris Nanterre). It offers a postdoctoral Fellowship in Early Modern Art History for 18 months from 1 October 2022.

The AORUM project
In the mid-seventeenth century, Rembrandt and Vermeer used gold in some of their paintings (Rembrandt, The Laughing Man, 1629-30, oil on gilt copper, Mauritshuis; Vermeer, A Sleeping Maid, 1657, oil on canvas, Metropolitan Museum). Although rare, other examples exist in seventeenth-century Western European painting, and even more so in the sixteenth century. And yet, among the painter’s materials, gold is the great absentee in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century historiography.
Bringing together art historians (academics, curators), historians, physicists, chemists, specialists in digital humanities, and restorers of ancient gilding, the interdisciplinary AORUM project aims to study the use of gold as a painting material between the 16th and the 17th centuries in Western Europe. Its objectives are to ‘rediscover’ this corpus, largely ignored by historiography; to analyse it according to the fundamental questions of art history (iconography, social history, history of taste); and to study, in an interdisciplinary approach, the techniques for using gold according to a questionnaire that calls on the most recent approaches to the technical art history and the physical chemistry of heritage materials; to study the optical properties of gilding, again in an interdisciplinary approach (art history - physics); and finally to process all the data in order to contribute to the EquipEx+ ESPADON (http://www.sciences-patrimoine.org/2020/12/selection-espadon/).

Tasks
AORUM is a collaborative and interdisciplinary project. The recruited person will work closely with the principal investigator and the other post-doctoral researchers (physical chemistry and optics), and will collaborate with the whole project team. Her/his mission will consist in particular in completing the corpus of artworks for France and Southern Europe (Italian and Iberian peninsulas), and in gathering a documentary corpus in order to analyse these artworks (using art-historical fundamental approaches, technical art history, history of display) in complementarity with the other members of the team. For all these tasks, she/he may be required to travel frequently in France and Europe.
The person will participate in the design of the representation and production of data in accordance with the models established in the framework of the ESPADON project (http://www.sciences-patrimoine.org/2020/12/selection-espadon/). She/he will collaborate in the constitution of a database, in connection with digital science colleagues.
The recruited art historian will be involved in all aspects of the project (symposium, publications, exhibition project etc.), including pedagogical aspects (collaboration on the AORUM Master 1 seminar (Romain Thomas, Université Paris Nanterre); training of student conservators at the Institut National du Patrimoine, a partner institution of the project).

Qualifications required
We are looking for a highly motivated candidate. She/he must be a specialist in the history of art of France and/or southern Europe (Italian and Iberian peninsulas) in the 16th and 17th centuries, familiar with the social history of art and the history of taste. The candidate must have a particular interest in technical art history and the history of artistic techniques, and be open to the interdisciplinary approach of Heritage Science.
A reflexive point of view will be highly appreciated, as well as evidence of a taste for Digital Art History (skills in digital humanities or an ability to train quickly in this field).
Language skills are required in French, Italian, English, and if possible Spanish. A taste for teamwork is necessary.

Working conditions
The post-doc will be recruited by the University of Paris Nanterre.
The duration is 18 months full time from October 1st 2022.
Remuneration: approximately €2000 net per month, depending on the candidate’s profile.
Location : Paris.

Applications
Applications to be sent by email before 1st September 2022 to the following persons :
Romain Thomas (University of Paris Nanterre), rthomasparisnanterre.fr
Vincent Delieuvin (Louvre Museum), Vincent.Delieuvinlouvre.fr
Pantxika De Paepe (Musée Unterlinden), pdepaepemusee-unterlinden.com
Anne Solenn Le Hô (C2RMF), anne-solenn.lehoculture.gouv.fr
Christine Andraud (CRC), christine.andraudmnhn.fr
Dan Vodislav (CY Paris University), dan.vodislavcyu.fr

The application file (to be provided in pdf format by wetransfer or any other large file transfer service) will include:
-a Curriculum Vitae,
-a letter of motivation
-two letters of recommendation with contact details
-three publications (thesis, articles)

Interviews in Paris between 5 and 15 September 2022.
If possible, the position will be taken up on 1 October 2022.
For any queries, please write to : rthomasparisnanterre.fr