Workshop on the Research and Curatorship of Drawings, Part II.

After a first successful workshop in 2023, the Museums of the Klassik Stiftung Weimar, Germany, invite applications for a second international workshop on technical approaches to studying drawings, generously supported by the Getty Foundation through its Paper Project initiative. It will take place in Weimar on November 20-21, 2025.

In recent years, advances in the conservation field around non-destructive examination methods — including multispectral imaging, XRF analysis, and microscopy — have catapulted forward the technical study of works on paper, and the Klassik Stiftung Weimar has emerged as a center of research in this field. But, despite progress made, it has become clear that scientific analysis cannot simply replace the traditional curatorial methods of connoisseurship, the comparative visual study of style and technique.

To explore this tension between connoisseurship and science, the Museums of the Klassik Stiftung Weimar will organize a workshop for early and mid-career curators to learn about the latest technical research on art on paper. Participants will draw on case studies from the Weimar collection, with a specific focus on the works of German Romanticist artist Caspar David Friedrich. The Weimar Friedrich collection has been comprehensively examined from the perspective of art history and material technology in recent years as part of an exhibition project.

The workshop aims to empower curators, who are not technically trained to understand the methods used in material analysis, grasp which art historical questions can be answered with such means and ultimately make these approaches fruitful aspects of their curatorial practice.

The workshop will be led by the curators and the conservators of the Graphische Sammlungen of the Klassik Stiftung Weimar, supported by senior scholars. Travel, accommodation, and meal expenses will be covered by the organizer. The working language is English. German reading skills are of advantage.

Please send your application in a single pdf document to graphische.sammlungenklassik-stiftung.de, containing:
- A current CV, including name, title, affiliation, email, address, and nationality/citizenship
- A short letter of intent, demonstrating your interest in the topic and explaining how your curatorial work will benefit from the workshop
- Contact information for one professional reference

Application deadline: August 6, 2025; Participants will be notified by August 15, 2025. For more information, please contact graphische.sammlungenklassik-stiftung.de.

About us:
With about 230,000 prints and drawings, the Graphische Sammlungen of the Klassik Stiftung Weimar are among the most important collections of this kind in Germany. They offer a comprehensive overview of art on paper from the 15th to the 21st century. You will find an insight into our collection here https://www.klassik-stiftung.de/graphische-sammlungen/auswahl-von-meisterzeichnungen/.
The collection is part of the Museums of the Klassik Stiftung Weimar. Its more than 20 different institutions in Weimar and the surrounding area include for example the Goethe National Museum and the Bauhaus Museum.
The Klassik Stiftung Weimar comprises a unique ensemble of cultural landmarks. 27 museums, castles, historical residences, parks, and collections of literature and art form one of the largest and most important cultural institutions in Germany. Twelve sites are designated as World Heritages Sites by UNESCO.