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.

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.

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.

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.

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.