Short course: Watermarks & Computational Art History

In May 2025, the RKD - Netherlands Institute for Art History will be organising a short course on watermark analysis using digital tools. The four-day course will be offered twice and will be led by Prof. Rick Johnson, pioneer in computational art history and professor emeritus at Cornell University. The short course is suitable for both art history students (MA/PhD), curators and other art historians who work with art on paper.

Analysis of watermarks
Watermarks are an important tool in researching the origin, production and dating of artworks on paper. The short course Watermarks & Computational Art History offers MA/PhD students, curators and other art historians the opportunity to gain insight into the analysis of watermarks in paper using digital tools. During this four-day course (being offered on two different weeks) you will receive a thorough introduction to watermark research. The focus will be on the technical and practical aspects of identifying and comparing watermarks, with the aim of learning to use specially developed tools and improving and applying so-called watermark libraries in art-historical research. A maximum of twelve people can participate in the course per week. When registering, you will be asked to provide a short motivation, which will be decisive for admission.

How to apply
Please submit a C.V. and a letter of interest (max. 650 words), highlighting your experience in the field of art on paper, outlining your familiarity (if any) with the subject of the workshop, and explaining how the workshop will contribute to the fulfilment of your scholarly, curatorial, and/or professional goals. Preference will be given to MA/PhD students and early-career curatorial professionals (curators, curatorial or research assistants/associates, postdoctoral fellows).
You can register until 31 March 2025 at the latest via eventsrkd.nl. Please also indicate your preferred week (week 1 or week 2).

Short course: Watermarks & Computational Art History
Date: 12-15 May or 19-22 May
Time: daily 13:30 to 17:00
Teacher: Prof. Rick Johnson (Cornell University)
Location: RKD – Netherlands Institute for Art History
Language: English
Costs: Students (MA/PhD) € 40/Professionals € 80