Art History Research
Art History Research
Find out more about our areas of research:
- Kelvin Centre for Conservation and Cultural Heritage Research
- The Hunterian [archive]
Overview
History of Art at University of Glasgow has a vibrant research culture.
A significant recent addition has been the establishment of the Kelvin Centre for Conservation and Cultural Heritage Research. Our established art historical strengths have therefore been augmented by an ambitious new emphasis on technical research and analysis.
The subject area has strong links with external partners nationally and internationally through both project research and partnership working.
We encourage and develop the best object-led research by our art historians, within an interdisciplinary environment in which the historical, theoretical, technical, museological and curatorial strands of the discipline are mutually reinforcing.
Key research clusters
- Twentieth century art
- Nineteenth century art
- Medieval and renaissance art
- Conservation, technical art history and textile history
We support rigorous, methodologically-informed scholarship, manifested in grant-funded research programmes, individual scholarly projects and ambitious exhibition curation. We have moved beyond traditional art historical approaches with our newly-developed areas of expertise in technical art history and conservation, underpinned by considerable investment in new facilities for the Centre for Textile Conservation and Technical Art History. This has created links with the physical sciences while providing opportunities for collaboration, particularly with heritage institutions.
Projects and Networks
Current and Recent
- China Art Research Network (CARN)
- American Historic Art in UK Public Collections
- ECLAP - European Collected Library of Artistic Performance
- James McNeill Whistler: The Etchings
- Louise Jopling (1843-1933): A Research Project
- Mackintosh Architecture: Context, Making and Meaning
- MeLA - European Museums and Libraries in/of the Age of Migration
- National Inventory Research Project
- Opus anglicanum: English medieval embroidery
- Public Catalogue Foundation and Your Paintings
- Research Network for Textile Conservation, Dress & Textile History & Technical Art History
- Stirling Maxwell Research Project
- Tracing Bosch and Bruegel: Four Paintings Magnified
- ReCREATE: rediscovering the experimental culture of 19th-century Scottish textile manufacture
- ReINVENT: reconnecting and recreating 19th century Scottish textile manufacture
- Dirty Stories – what dirt from historic textiles can tell
- Does this make SERS to you?
- Tapestry in the Round: Interdisciplinary Cross-sector Research in Textile History
- Opus anglicanum: English medieval embroidery
Recently Completed
- Exhibition Culture in London 1878-1908
- Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851-1951
- Mobilising Mapping: Project News
- Stirling Castle Palace Project
Web Resources
- Andy Goldsworthy Digital Catalogue
- CARP - Chinese Art - Research into Provenance
- Chinese Collection Catalogue Leverhulme Trust Research Project Grant with the National Museums, Liverpool
- Contemporary Collections and Collecting in Scotland Series
- Correspondence of William Henry Fox Talbot Project
- International Exhibitions Visual Library
- Journal of Art Historiography
- Making Meaning and Market: 17th Century Dutch Painting from the Hunterian Art Gallery
- OTHER EUROPES: re-visioning architecture and design 1840-1940
- Scottish Gothic Churches and Abbeys
- Whistler Correspondence EditionNational Inventory of Continental European Paintings
New Developments
International Reach
Nick Pearce’s established expertise in the area of Chinese art area is now supported with new investment signalled by the appointment of Minna Torma. This dovetails with the establishment of the Scottish Centre for China Research and the Confucius Institute at Glasgow.
Plans are also underway for a China Art Research Network (CARN), with colleagues at Glasgow Museums, the National Museums of Scotland and Christie’s Education, London. The Network aims to provide a platform, nationally and internationally, for art historians, archaeologists and museum professionals who specialise in China and who work in object-based research, including history, technical art history and conservation.
New research area
A significant departure for the Institute is the development of a specialism in Art Law with Christa Roodt, as part of the unit’s partnership with Christie’s Education, London. We aim to develop inter-disciplinary research strength in art, business and law.
New and ongoing projects
There are numerous ongoing projects within the Institute. For a full listing, see the ‘Projects and Networks’ tab.
Publications
For recent publications, search for individual staff at https://www.gla.ac.uk/research/enlighten/