The Department of Art and Art History at the University of Malta is pleased to announce an evening of public talks featuring distinguished visiting scholars Prof. Ron Spronk and Prof. Paul Wood. The event will take place at the Aula Prima, University of Malta, Valletta Campus, on Tuesday, 6 May, and will offer an opportunity for scholars, students and the general public to engage with leading voices in the fields of technical art history and modern art theory.

The evening will commence at 5pm with a lecture by Prof. Spronk (Queen's University, Canada), titled Technical Art History and the Northern Renaissance. Prof. Spronk will be introduced by Prof. Charlene Vella. Prof. Spronk is Professor of Art History at Queen's University in Kingston, Canada, and holds the Jheronimus Bosch Chair at Radboud University in the Netherlands. A leading figure in the field of technical art history, Prof. Spronk has contributed extensively to the study of Early Netherlandish painting, particularly through his involvement in major international research projects such as the Bosch Research and Conservation Project and the Getty-funded Panel Paintings Initiative. His work bridges the disciplines of art history, conservation and scientific analysis to illuminate the material and creative histories of artworks.

His talk will explore how technical art history - the interdisciplinary study combining art history with the material sciences - deepens our understanding of Northern Renaissance paintings, revealing the creative processes and workshop practices behind these masterpieces.

Following a coffee break, the programme will continue at 6.30pm with a lecture by Prof. Wood (Open University, Milton Keynes) titled Changing Ideas of the Avant-garde. Dr Christian Attard will introduce Prof. Wood, who is Emeritus Professor of Art History at the Open University, Milton Keynes. He is internationally-renowned for his scholarship on modern and contemporary art, particularly about theories of the avant-garde and modernism. Prof. Wood's major publications include The Challenge of the Avant-Garde (1999), Modernism in Dispute (1993, with Charles Harrison and Jason Gaiger) and Western Art and the Wider World (2013). His research addresses the social and political contexts of artistic production, contributing significantly to critical discourses in art history. Prof. Wood's presentation will examine the evolution of the concept of the avant-garde, from its emergence in the early 19th century to its transformations in the contemporary art world.

Attendance to this event is free of charge and all are welcome. No reservations required.

For further information, please contact the Department of Art and Art History on [email protected]