The European Visual Culture Seminar was established in 1993 by David Marshall as the ‘Baroque Group’ with staff and students from the Art History department of the University of Melbourne. Over the years it has broadened its focus to include any aspect of European visual culture. It welcomes staff and students from Melbourne University, La Trobe University and other academic institutions as gallery curators and interested members of the public.
The range of research interests is extremely wide and reflects the diversity of European art history, from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. Subjects include – but are not limited to – patronage, portraiture, landscapes and frescoes, architectural and garden history, issues of attribution and discussions of theory.
The EVCS prides itself on its approachable culture that encourages extended discussion of papers in an informal, friendly and supportive environment, in which speakers can share their research and obtain thoughtful and in-depth feedback.
The seminars take place once a month during semester, usually on a Monday evening at 6.30 pm, in the Elisabeth Murdoch Building, the University of Melbourne, Parkville Campus. Afterwards everyone is welcome to join us for dinner in Lygon Street.
The EVCS is open to staff and students of all academic institutions, as well as interested members of the public.
If you would like to be added to the email list to receive information on upcoming seminars, or are interested in giving a paper, please contact the convenor, Mark Shepheard: shepm@unimelb.edu.au
Convenor
Mark Shepheard: shepm@unimelb.edu.au
Co-Convenor
David R. Marshall: david.marshall@unimelb.edu.au
Upcoming Papers
Monday 13th September
Vincent Alessi – ‘It’s a kind of Bible’: A thematic and stylistic analysis of van Gogh’s collection of English black-and-white illustrations
During his life Vincent van Gogh assembled a number of important collections, including approximately 2,000 black-and-white popular illustrations. Cut from illustrated newspapers, the majority of the works in this collection were from two pioneering English publications, the Illustrated London News and The Graphic. To date, these illustrations has been widely neglected; scholars have acknowledged the influence of English illustration on Van Gogh’s work, but little has been done in analysing the actual print collection. Why did van Gogh build the collection? Why did he choose certain illustrations over others? What was its thematic and stylistic structure? This paper aims to reveal the complex thematic and stylistic structure which underpins van Gogh’s extensive collection, revealing the influence it had on the development of his unique visual language.
Date: Monday 13 September 2010 6:30 pm
Venue: Room 150 Elisabeth Murdoch Building, University of Melbourne, Parkville
All Welcome
Drinks and nibbles provided (gold coin donation appreciated for snacks.: wine generously donated by Eugene Barilo von Reisberg). The seminar will be followed by dinner in Lygon St. Please RSVP Mark Shepheard (shepm@unimelb.edu.au) if you plan to join us for dinner.
Ryan Johnson will be speaking on October 11th – Topic TBA.
For a list of Past Papers click here.
