ASSOCIATION of ART HISTORIANS Registered Charity No
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November 1992 BULLETIN ASSOCIATION OF ART HISTORIANS Registered Charity No. 2825 79 Editor: Clare Pumfrey, 40 SillwoodRoad, Brighton BN1 2LE Tel: 0273 29433 Advertising Manager: Kate Woodhead, Dog and Partridge House, Byley, Cheshire CW10 9NJ Tel: 0606 835517 NEWS REPORT EXECUTIVE UPDATE At its busy 104th meeting in September the very much that a wide-ranging policy (with Professor Eric Fernie in the Chair) Executive Committee discussed a number document will be available for discussion has now been published. Professor Benton, of important matters. at the next AGM in April. Meanwhile, I Dr Elam, Professor Kaufmann, Professor would very much enjoy hearing from Onians, Professor Podro, Professor Pointon A new Editor for Art History individual members or from other readers and Dr Tickner will consider submissions The Executive was delighted to ratify of the Bulletin with views on AAH policy from some 45 institutions (relating to well formally the Editorial Board's nomination in the following areas: How should the over 300 individuals) before reporting to of Marcia Pointon to succeed Neil AAH behave in the public realm - as a the Universities Funding Council. McWilliam as Editor of the Association's pressure group on government and Those of you who were at Leeds will journal Art History. Professor Pointon institutions? How active should the AAH remember that it was agreed that the identity attended the EC and outlined her initial be in the international arena? How should of those nominated by the AAH should plans for the j ournal. She will serve for five the AAH be organised - on a democratic remain confidential. I can say, however, years and will be submitting detailed base but needing to be effective that it is clear that the Association's thoughts proposals regarding the management of (professional?) in its management? How on the matter were taken very seriously by the journal to the Editorial Board when it should the AAH foster the history of art as the UFC and that the panel reflects in a meets in October. The new Editor also an intellectual activity? most encouraging way the views that were paid tribute to the work ofher predecessors, Other issues may come to mind; if so, put forward in our discussions last April. I John Onians, the founding-Editor and, more please do raise them. wish to make it clear that there is no truth recently, Neil who (in the words of the in the rumour that the AAH was ignored. outgoing Chair) 'showed great dedication CIHA The Association has also responded to a to the highest professional standards' in his Following decisions taken at the Berlin consultation paper issued in the summer by time as Editor. conference of the Comite International the Higher Education Funding Council for d'Histoire de I'Art the British CIHA England on The Funding of Research. In Future strategy committee is re-constituting itself as an our submission we stressed that a substantial Several reports and other items taken at the affiliated body of the AAH. Full details percentage of the Association's member• September meeting related to a wider should be available well before the April ship is actively engaged in research in the discussion now taking place on the AGM at the Tate Gallery. history of art and that many individuals are Executive. This business was encouraged employed in institutions currently in receipt by Theo Cowdell's paper in Bulletin 45 Research funding of funds administered by the HEFCE. We and will be the subject of a special EC to Members who attended the Leeds con• welcomed the principle that any future take place in November. With the AAH ference will remember the steps taken to funding method should be dynamic, as it is almost 20 years old there is clearly a feeling nominate those the AAH wished to serve clear that the essentially retrospective nature both on the EC and amongst the member• on the Art and Design Panel set up by the of the Research Assessment Exercise might ship as a whole that the main aims of the UFC/PCFC to conduct its selectivity prejudice that nurturing of new approaches Association need to be reassessed. I hope exercise. The membership of the panel and areas of interest that has been such a NEWS REPORT marked characteristic of our discipline in Royal Holloway & Bedford New they write to the Secretary of State, the recent years. We particularly welcomed College Attorney General and to the Charity the existence of a (too small) element of The College is pressing ahead with its Commissioners registering appropriate 'development' money outlined in the proposal to sell three pictures (by concern. Further details may be obtained proposals as a means of offering some Gainsborough, Turner and Constable) from from Warwick Gould, Royal Holloway & protection to small bands of researchers the founder's collection in order to finance Bedford New College, Egham Hill, Egham, spread across a very large number of a building programme. To general Surrey TW20 OEX, to whom copies of all institutions. In addition, we stressed the astonishment, the Charity Commissioners correspondence should be sent. importance of protecting essential national have given the scheme their approval and resources, such as the photographic libraries in response Professor Jonathan Riley-Smith Nigel Llewellyn at the Courtauld and Warburg Institutes, (a brave member of the College) has lodged Chair from crude applications of funding models an appeal with the Ombudsman. The fight driven only by student numbers. Finally, now moves to Government circles and to the Association put the view that it would the House of Commons. Please all write to welcome the introduction of a Humanities your MPs telling her or him that you know Research Council funded by the HEFCE. of Riley-Smith's Appeal and urging that BERLIN CONFERENCE REPORT It was clearly difficult to convince members the preservation of monuments' were splendid garden party given by the Getty of the AAH that 3000 art historians of popular subjects. Moreover, the pro• Trust for Congress lecturers. The good diverse cultures and language skills might gramme was wisely broadened to give the weather was particularly welcome for the meaningfully debate ideas or problems of assembled experts opportunities to discuss Saturday sight-seeing excursions. Having mutual concern, as the XXVIII International topical areas of concern, such as the opted for Dresden, I was impressed by the Congress in Berlin (15-20 July 1992) was 'Museumsinsel',the 'Piero project' and, of superbly organised trip. Moreover, senior attended by few British art historians not course, the Rembrandt 'authentication'. local experts were at hand to explain their presenting a paper. Only the museums were As might be expected at such a rebuilding programmes for the opera and well represented, with delegates predictably conference, the papers were of varying the castle area, and to discuss problems and attracted by the intense debate concerning standard, yet few of those that I heard could progress. Official support was equally the 'Museumsinsel' in Berlin. Challenging be called uninteresting or even frivolous, pronounced in Berlin; Federal President contributions (from Eastern European and several were of undoubted significance Weizsacker and Burgomeister Christine colleagues in particular) certainly would to art history. It was often more difficult to Bergmann spoke at the opening ceremony, have deserved the attention of British secure productive discussion contributions and the Berlin Senate and Museums hosted scholars. Instead, it appears that enthu• from the floor. There was a notable receptions for all the participants. The siastic German students were invited to fill tendency for certain established scholars to newly built ICC Congress Centre offered up their places. try and deliver the paper they felt they excellent facilities, especially for speakers, Under the umbrella of 'Artistic Ex• should have been asked to present. with ample room for exhibitions, a book change ', the organisers assembled a lecture However, more useful input often revealed fair and auxiliary presentations. Only the programme of impressive diversity. profound knowledge and led to some really inability to provide sufficient staff to sell Research presented for debate, and to be exciting debates and, at times, to new coffee during the short breaks put a small published later this year, ranged from the insight. Indeed, on one occasion an spoke in the well-oiled organisational peregrinations of medieval artists to the impromptu dash to the home of a Berlin wheels. 'crossroads of avant-gardes', from the professor permitted our heated dispute to western influence on Islamic architecture continue profitably over improvised lunch Brigitte Corley and Japanese painting to the 'ethnicity and in his garden. national identity in the history of new world The idyllic location for debate was, of art'. The internationality of photography, course, made possible by the perfection of film and video was also traced in interesting German Congress planning, which even contributions. In Berlin4new metropolitan included the provision of hot sunshine architecture' and 'the role of art history in throughout - except during the rather 2 NEWS REPORT THE AAH AND AUSTRALIA Members of the AAH who attended the 'How Dogmatic was Le Brun?', 'Women, interests lie in both Australian and Leeds conference in April this year will the Nude, and the Academy', 'Academ• international topics. recall the interest generated by the academic icism in Chinese Oil Painting.. .in the 1980s' AAH members are offered the section 'Australia' organised by Terry and 'Colonials Kill Artfully'. Australian Journal of Art at a discounted Smith. Following Leeds we have decided Volumes VII, VIII (1989/90) and IX individual rate of AUSS10 per issue post to encourage better links between the AAH (1991) of the Australian Journal of Art free to AAH members (please make and the Art Association of Australia by have also been published.