PhD defence Jan van Daal: The Secret to Lasting Splendour in Medieval Art

On Friday 16 May, Jan van Daal will defend his PhD dissertation ‘On Durable Splendour in Medieval Art, c. 1100-1450’. In his dissertation, Van Daal examines the durability of medieval ‘splendour’.

Splendour in medieval art

Many medieval texts show that the interplay between light and precious materials was key to how patrons and artisans produced and experienced art. The term ‘splendour’ captures the aesthetic ideal that this interplay represents.

These medieval texts – and some surviving artworks – also show that patrons and artisans not only thought and spoke about how splendid artworks should look, but also how they should continue to look as time progressed. They thought about the durability of these artworks.  

Durability in medieval splendour

The meaning of durability in the Middle Ages has not been studied before. Van Daal analysed texts related to the commissioning and manufacture, such as contracts and art-technical recipes. He focussed on art made with colourants, gemstones, glass, and precious metals. He also studied surviving artworks.

Van Daal concludes that medieval patrons and artisans viewed durable splendour as attainable through anticipating potential damage to an artwork. Additionally, durability was something that patrons and artisans actively appreciated when they thought, spoke, and wrote about splendid art.