External: Doctoral Research Fellow at Ghent University (Copying as Common Practice in Early Modern Architecture)
The research project Copying as Common Practice in Early Modern Architecture – funded by the European Research Council and directed by Elizabeth Merrill (PI) – is inviting applications for a full-time doctoral researcher from the field of early modern architectural history.
Contract: 1 year, renewable for another 3 years, to begin in September 2024
Required degree: MA or equivalent in a relevant field
Occupancy rate: 100%
Vacancy type: Research staff
Based at: Ghent University, Department of Architecture and Urban Planning
Closing Date: 17 May 2024
About the project:
The history and theory of early modern architecture is replete with discussions of artistic genius and inimitable creation. This is reflected in the predominant focus given to disegno— a term that refers to both the practice and product of drawing—and more specifically to autograph drawings.
In the second half of the sixteenth century, a coherent theory of disegno was developed by Giorgio Vasari, in which artistic design was understood as an intellectual endeavour and categorically distinguished from processes of execution.
This ERC-funded research project challenges the Vasarian concept of disegno as a framework for understanding architectural drawings and the practices of early modern architecture. Looking to models of epistemology developed in the history of science, the project advances the hypothesis that techniques of mechanical drawing, and more specifically, drawings that were produced by manual copying and direct tracing, served as a bedrock of architectural education in the period prior to the advent of formal schools of architecture. This proposition confronts history’s normative conceptions of ‘architecture’ and artistic ‘drawing.’ The research is grounded in the direct study of the surviving graphic record. Considering architectural drawings according to their use and epistemic value, the project seeks to situate their authors—known or unknown—in the practical and cultural cosmos that encircled them.
Expectations of the Research Post Holder
As a member of the ERC research group and the Ghent University Department of Architecture and Urban Planning, the Ph.D. will work together with the international team under the supervision of the PI. The Ph.D. will bring their own ideas to the topic and help shape the investigation on the practices and material evidence of tracing in early modern architecture. The Ph.D. will be responsible for executing archival-based research on drawings and will catalogue their research findings in the project database. The Ph.D. will have the opportunity to pursue additional training in the study of drawings, and the history and conservation of paper. Based on this research, the Ph.D. researcher is expected to (co)author scientific articles, disseminate results at international seminars and conferences, complete a Ph.D. dissertation, and lend support to other project and departmental activities. While pursuing the project objectives, the Ph.D. will be encouraged to develop their profile, enhance their skills, and involve themselves in other activities of interest to them, especially in the Department and the University.
Requirements
MA in Art or Architectural History, or in a closely related field (to be completed by the start date of the position)
Proficiency in reading Italian and German, as well as in writing academic English
Motivation and ambition in research
Capacity to produce high-quality written work
Willingness to communicate and collaborate actively as a team member
Willingness to travel and complete archival-based research
Interested in the possibilities and methods of digital humanities and online databases
How To Apply
Full details of the position, documents for application, and how to apply may be viewed here:
Doctoral fellow — Ghent University (ugent.be)
For informal queries, please contact the PI: Elizabeth Merrill (elizabeth.merrill@ugent.be)
