Conference: Collections and Collecting Ancient, Byzantine and Medieval Art Conference, Christie’s Education London, 23 March 2017
Collecting Ancient and Medieval art attracts both academic and public curiosity because the objects (and structures) in question are not only often extremely rare, but also have fascinating histories. The ability to possess a piece of our past has allowed collectors throughout the centuries to create a continuity between that past and their present. This conference will explore the history of Ancient, Byzantine and Medieval collections, how they were originally formed, how objects survive and in what contexts, and how certain collections themselves live on. It will also address how the collections of the past may be reflected in the way that we approach collecting today, the theoretical and the historical framework of collections, how they are currently presented, as well as some of the controversies in the field. Equally, the problems and issues underlying the collecting of Ancient and Medieval art, and the knowledge required to authenticate them will be discussed.
PROGRAMME
| 9:30 – 10:00 | Registration & Coffee |
| 10:00 – 10:10 | Welcome |
| SECTION I: Ancient and Medieval Collections
(Chair: Cecily Hennessy, Christie’s Education) |
|
| 10:15 – 10:40 | Collecting liturgical objects in thirteenth and fourteenth-century Castile
Maeve O’Donnell-Morales (Courtauld Institute of Art) |
| 10:40 – 11:05 | The saint-king’s collection: The treasure of grande châsse in the Sainte-Chapelle
Emily Guerry (University of Kent) |
| 11:05 – 11:30 | ‘Through me rulers rule’: A Curious History of Imperial Coronation Regalia
Zoë Opačić (Birkbeck, University of London) |
| 11:30 – 11:55 | E.P. Warren, Greek art and the Pan Painter
Amy Smith (University of Reading) |
| 11:55 – 12:10 | Discussion |
| 12:10 – 13:40 | LUNCH |
| SECTION II: New Approaches to Collections
(Chair: Sadie Pickup, Christie’s Education) |
|
| 13:45 – 14:10 | The Digital Pilgrim Project: approaching large collections of miniature art
Amy Jeffs (University of Cambridge) |
| 14:10 – 14:35 | From Monastic Libraries to Computer Screens: Collecting Late Antique Illumination through the Centuries
Peter Toth (British Library) |
| 14:35 – 15:00 | Collections, Controversies and the Copts: Deciphering the Late Antique Textiles of Egypt
Anna Kelley (University of Birmingham) |
| 15:00 – 15:15 | Discussion |
| 15:15 – 15:45 | COFFEE & TEA |
| SECTION III: Private and Public Collections
(Chair: Jana Gajdošová, Christie’s Education) |
|
| 15:50 – 16:15 | The intersection between collecting and scholarship: some personal experience
Michael Carter (English Heritage) |
| 16:15 – 16:40 | Exploring the Collection of George R Harding
Naomi Speakman (British Museum) |
| 16:40 – 17:05 | Title to be Confirmed
Claudio Corsi (Christie’s, London) |
| 17:05 – 17:15 | Discussion |
| 17:15 – 17:30 | Closing Remarks |
| 18:00 | Drinks Reception |
Medieval Art Research 