ISSUE 39 • 2016 THE COURTAULD NEWS INSIDE: Courtauld CONNECTS THE Great FLOOD OF FLORENCE INTERVIEW WITH FRANCES MORRIS RODIN AND DANCE: THE ESSENCE OF MOVEMENT 1 THE COURTAULD NEWS • ISSUE 39 • 2016 COVER STORY AND CONTENTS Cover Story 3 Director’s Welcome 5 A tribute to David Solkin Continent by Jacob Hashimoto is a work from our most recent East Wing 7 The life of Anne Olivier Bell Biennial (EWB) exhibition, Artificial 9 Karen Serres reveals the true story of van Gogh’s ear Realities. Run entirely by students, EWB recently entered its 25th year. 11 The Great Flood of Florence For more information see the article 13 Alexandra Gerstein on Rodin and Dance on pages 47–48 or on the website eastwingbiennial.org. 15 Alumni Achievements 17 Interview with Frances Morris Managing Editor: Kary Kelly 21 Barnaby Wright discusses Georgiana Houghton Executive Editor: Gregory Wilkinson 23 Projects from our Research Students With thanks to Alex Pook, Sophia 26 Adam Monaghan on being a museum technician James, Grace Han, Cat Marks, Libby Ayres and Michael Sherry 27 The restoration of Auckland Castle 29 Richard Wilding returns to Kurdistan Design: MB&Co Limited 29 2 35 33 Courtauld Connects 35 Interview with architects Witherford Watson Mann 40 Tom Bilson discusses the recent digitisation projects 41 Maureen Cross and Karen Serres on the recent Manet restoration 42 Degas’ Dancers go to Coventry 43 Rebecca Arnold on her Instagram success 44 Elizabeth Morrow and CoolTan Arts 59 45 Tennessee Williams reports from the Student Union 47 East Wing Biennial 49 TEDxCourtauldInstitute 51 Alumni and staff publications 55 The tenth anniversary of the Caroline Villiers Research Fellowship 57 Lara Frentrop on the New Friends Lecture series 58 Annual Book Sale 59 Masterpiece 61 Memories 64 Donors 70 Courtauld Prints 3 THE COURTAULD NEWS • ISSUE 39 • 2016 DIRECtor’s WELCOME Director’s welcome Reflections on the year e have had much to celebrate David Solkin (MA 1974), Dean and Deputy in this year of Utopia at Director, who retired after thirty years at The Courtauld when we The Courtauld. David made an outstanding have joined forces with contribution to The Courtauld, both as scholar Somerset House Trust and and academic leader and we already miss WKing’s College London to celebrate the 500th his daily presence. Professor Mark Hallett anniversary of Thomas More’s eponymous (MA 1989, PhD 1996) has written a touching publication. The cover of this issue shows tribute which you will find on pages 5 and 6. Jacob Hashimoto’s ‘Continent’, a piece Professor Antony Eastmond (MA 1989, PhD from this year’s student-curated East Wing 1992), David’s successor, is an expert on Late Biennial exhibition Artificial Realities, inspired Antique and Byzantine art and has been on by Utopia, as was TEDxCourtauldInstitute the permanent faculty since 1995. Antony Breaking the Rules, the third in our now annual is experienced in academic administration TEDx conference series. Utopia was also the and leadership, and has been at the heart theme of the MA Curating the Art Museum of academic development at The Courtauld students’ exhibition Confusion of Tongues: (most recently as Head of Examinations). He Art and the limits of Language which was on brings great enthusiasm, optimism and clarity display in The Courtauld Gallery last summer. of purpose and I look forward to seeing his impact upon The Courtauld. Joining him in At the heart of all we are now doing is the newly created position of Head of the Courtauld Connects, our own ambitious Department of History of Art we welcome project to reposition The Courtauld for Professor Christine Stevenson, an expert on the future. This £50m+ project is not only Early Modern Art and Architecture and a a transformation of our wonderful historic former Acting Dean. Also new to his position is buildings, making them fit for the 21st century Dr Tom Nickson (MA 2005, PhD 2009), Lecturer and radically improving the experience of in Medieval Art, who succeeds Maureen Cross, our students, staff and visitors, but also a Lecturer in Conservation and Technology, transformation of our programmatic activities, as Associate Dean for Students. Maureen’s enabling us to engage with wider, more invaluable three years in this role brought issues diverse audiences, locally, nationally and such as student mental health to the forefront internationally. In May we were delighted to of student/staff discussions and Tom, who is secure a £9.4 million grant from the Heritage already working closely with the Students’ Lottery Fund towards Phase 1 of the project Union, is well placed to continue her efforts. bringing the total generously pledged to £18.5m. You will find more about the project in Our faculty continue to flourish and enrich all the central pages of this publication. they have to offer our students and the wider community in their teaching through The This year we sadly said farewell to Professor Sackler Research Forum and through their 4 collaborations throughout the world. Our Dr Bruce Boucher (MA 1974, PhD 1987), coverage of American art will now be stronger whom we warmly welcome as Director of Sir than ever as we are delighted to welcome John Soane’s Museum. We enthusiastically Dr Jo Applin, from the University of York, who applaud Sir Nicholas Serota (MA 1970) and specialises on American Art of the later 20thc, Frances Morris (MA 1983) on the opening and Professor David Peters Corbett from the of the new building at the Tate Modern and University of East Anglia. David will both teach are really delighted to congratulate Frances an MA on British, French and American art of on her appointment as the Director of that the late 19th and early 20th-century and direct institution. Even more recently Nicholas our new Centre for American Art which has announced his forthcoming retirement from been launched with the support of a generous Tate. It seems almost impossible to imagine grant from the Terra Foundation. The Sackler Tate without Nicholas at its head, but no Research Forum recently launched our new one could be better suited to the role of Friends Lecture Series with talks by recently Chairman of the Arts Council. He will be a appointed Directors of some of the UK’s top superb champion for the arts in ever more Director’s welcome museums and galleries which is discussed on challenging times. Our influence is evident page 57. I was also very pleased to welcome all over the world and this year has heralded our new Martin Halusa Curator of Drawings, several appointments worldwide including Dr Ketty Gottardo (MA 2004, PhD 2013) who Halona Norton-Westbrook (MA 2007) who has joined us from the J. Paul Getty Museum in been appointed Director of Collections of the Los Angeles. Toledo Museum of Art. Our alumni also go on to work in a wide variety of jobs beyond The Courtauld Gallery once again had an the museum sector including Jessica Devoy outstanding year with critically acclaimed (BA 2007), who has been appointed Global exhibitions such as Soaring Flight: Peter Onboarding Business Manager in HSBC Lanyon’s Gliding Paintings and Botticelli Commercial Banking. Learn more about our and Treasures from the Hamilton Collection, alumni achievements on pages 15 and 16 and which received glowing reviews, as did our read an interview with Frances starting on current exhibition Rodin and Dance which page 17. ends on the 22nd January. Detailed work with the drawings collection continued richly The uncertainty caused by the outcome with four special displays in The Gilbert and of the UK’s referendum with the decision Ildiko Butler Drawings Gallery and we are to leave the European Union and the grateful to have received a further three year continuing challenges to the arts are causes grant from the International Music and Dance for concern. The recent distressing decision Foundation for cataloguing the collection. Our of AQA to cancel the last remaining UK A regional loan programme is reaching out to and AS Level qualification in art history has areas where Courtaulds Ltd, the company of engendered passionate public debate – a our founder Samuel Courtauld, was once at debate in which The Courtauld will ensure the heart of economy and society including that its voice is heard as part of what must next year’s loan of our copy of Manet’s Le be a concerted campaign to reassert the Déjeuner sur l’herbe, recently conserved value both of art history and of the arts and at The Courtauld by the Department of humanities in general. Conservation and Technology, to Hull, UK Despite all this, it is heart-warming that our Capital of Culture 2017. Our MA Conservation students, staff and alumni remain undaunted of Wall Painting course just took in their in their work and passionate in all that they do. triennial intake of 8 students. These students The Courtauld is well positioned both to act will embark on a challenging, exciting course and speak as a leader, a role model and as a involving fieldwork in locations such as India, substantial cultural presence in the arts world China and Bhutan. and I know that it will continue to do so. Our alumni continue to contribute richly to the leadership of the Museum and Gallery and With very best wishes, public arts world. It is a huge pleasure to have Dr Gabriele Finaldi (BA 1987, MA 1989, PhD 1995) back in London now as Director of the National Gallery and we are delighted that he has joined our Governing Board replacing Sir Nicholas Penny (MA 1973, PhD 1975). Professor Deborah Swallow An equally close new neighbour is alumnus Märit Rausing Director of The Courtauld 5 THE COURTAULD NEWS • ISSUE 39 • 2016 A TRIBUTE TO DAVID SOLKIN David Solkin Celebrating 30 years at The Courtauld This summer, David Solkin, Dean and Deputy Director and Walter H.