[In-Person/Online] Lecture by NIKI scholar-in-residence Eelco Nagelsmit, June 3 , 2025: ”Exhibiting evidentia through ‘Ancient Icons’ in seventeenth-century Franciscan polemics”
In the 1650s, Capuchin friar Carolus of Brussels responded to a ban on publishing about Franciscan dress by using visual art as evidence. He commissioned paintings based on medieval prototypes and published prints (Icones antiquae) to support his censored views. Eelco Nagelsmit’s project examines how such images served as historical proof in religious debates and whether they reflected emerging empirical methods or older traditions of legitimizing faith.
In-person/online conference: Artists’ Strategies in Renaissance Italy: Artists and Artworks on the Move
This conference explores how artistic expression and geographical awareness intersected in late fifteenth- and sixteenth-century Italy, a time of increasing artistic individualism and mobility.
PhD writing workshop in Planning History (21-23 May 2025)
Gabriel Schwake is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Interested in the influences of finance, nationalism, conflicts, and identities on the process of spatial production, Gabriel’s current research project explores the relationship between debt and urban development. During his time at the NIKI, Gabriel will study the inception of Florentine debt-reliant urbanisation and the ways in which it influenced the development of the city.
Expert Meeting on May 17, 2025: ‘An Exploration of Computational Methods for Studying Renaissance Artistic Practices’
This expert meeting brings together art historians, museum professionals, and digital humanities practitioners to investigate how digital tools can illuminate Renaissance artistic practices. The day will feature collaborative discussions around workshop practices, artistic collaboration, and intermedial exchange.
Civil War in Ancient Rome and Early Modern Florence: Medici Patronage and the Example of the Classics
In 1478 the Florentine banking family of the Pazzi, aided and abetted by intimates of Pope Sixtus IV, prepared an attempt on the life of the capi of their rivals, the Medici, at that time the dominant party in Florentine finance and politics. The leading role of the Medici in Florence promised that the undertaking, were it to be successful, would be considered a spectacular feat. Yet by itself the violent disposal of political enemies was by no means exceptional in early modern Italy.
Call for Papers: Hirsute, Downy, Hairless. Meanings and Forms of Body Hair in Early Modern Visual Culture
While long overlooked in art historical studies, over the past two decades body hair has emerged as a significant field of research, offering new perspectives on Early Modern visual culture. The presence or absence of body hair serves as an indicator of aesthetic (or artistic) preferences and prevailing social norms specific to certain periods and locations, revealing complex intersections between art and real life. This two-day workshop will take an interdisciplinary approach to exploring body hair in visual culture, focusing on themes such as gender norms, religious symbolism, artistic practices, and cultural variations.
[In-Person/Online] Lecture by Astrid Van Oyen, March 5 , 2025: ”Drama in the Tuscan countryside: excavations of the Marzuolo Archaeological Project (2016-2024)”
Astrid Van Oyen, Professor of Archaeology at Radboud University, will discuss the archaeological findings from the Marzuolo site in Tuscany, revealing the dramatic turns of rural Roman life, including a failed wine business, a smithy fire, and a potter’s innovations. The lecture also explores archaeological methods and the importance of reconstructing everyday lives in history.
Call for Applications: NWIB Visiting Professors Programme 2025/2026
The NWIB Visiting Professors Program offers assistant professors, associate professors and full professors at participating universities (see below) a unique opportunity to work undisturbed in an inspiring and stimulating environment. This program enables you to stay at one of the five Netherlands Scientific Institutes Abroad (NWIBs) for a period of three months to conduct research, give lectures and contribute to the intellectual climate at the Institute.
Common Ground: An Exploration of Modern Art through a Renaissance Lens | A Series of Online/In-Person Talks by Prof. Bette Talvacchia (28 January – 6 February 2025, 6 PM)
This series explores the relationship between Renaissance art and its modern descendants, examining how contemporary artists engage with historical art to create new meanings. Topics include narration, formal concerns, icons, body symbolism, and gender in portraiture. The lectures aim to highlight the relevance of the past to contemporary art practices, promoting a connected understanding of art across time.
[In-Person/Online] Conference hosted by NIKI & NYU-Florence, January 17–19, 2025: “Hidden in Plain Sight: Black African Lives and Visual Histories in the Early Modern World”
How do representations of marginalized bodies challenge dominant narratives in history? What new realities are revealed about the absence and agency of Black Africans by a more global approach to the 14–17th centuries? The international conference Hidden in Plain Sight, co-hosted by the NIKI and NYU-Florence, will explore a range of interrelated themes, drawing from art history, anthropology, African studies, history, musicology, and other fields. By critically re-examining histories of colonialism and slavery, the event seeks to reshape our understanding of disciplinary boundaries and spark new scholarly debates.
