Price Formation on late Medieval and Early Modern Art Markets;
Schwabenakademie Irsee (Germeny), 30 March – 01 April 2012

Organizers: Prof. Dr. Mark Häberlein, Dr. Markwart Herzog, Christof
Jeggle, Dr. Heinrich Lang in cooperation with Prof. Dr. Dr. Andreas
Tacke (= XII. Meeting of the Irsee working group on pre-industrial
economic and social history and the ERC-project “artifex”)

Works of art are considered to be relevant objects for analyzing
procedures of price formation, because they escape instrumental use
beyond the aim of aesthetic representation. In the pricing of works of
art, the aesthetic design dominated the evaluation in favour of
material value as much as artists constituted a professional group of
their own and their works were distinguished from craftwork. For the
survival of the producers of works of art the margin between the value
of the material and the price of sale was crucial. The processes of
production also influence the pricing of works of art. For single
pieces, dedicated to a particular patron, the size of the object, the
materials to be used, the selection and arrangement of the motifs and -
considering well-known artists - also the part the masters themselves
took in the production process, were precisely agreed upon and priced
as parts of written contracts. Successful artists could employ their
name as a kind of branded label and make additional use of it in the
formation of prices. Besides single pieces serial production of works
of art was established to serve the demand for particular aesthetic
trends, varying materials or techniques and fashions. During their
existence works of art of both proveniences could encounter significant
changes in the evaluation of their prices. Different kinds of art
markets developed, besides the sales of the artists themselves agents
(specialized on art) constructed networks for selling art, a
professionalized art trade was established with galleries and art
auctions including different procedures of price formation, as was the
trade on second hand markets. Since the evaluation of mere aesthetic
qualities is not governed by objective criteria, the expertise and
knowledge of connoisseurs were of great relevance for the art trade.
Therefore discourses on art criticism highly influenced the formation
of prices as well.

The Irsee working group for pre-industrial economic and social history
organizes annually conferences held at the Schwabenakademie Irsee to
offer an international and interdisciplinary discussion platform on
recent topics of research. The organizers are looking for proposals for
papers (including title, abstract, name, adress, affiliation) from all
relevant fields of research, analyzing the formation of prices on
Medieval and Early Modern urban art markets in systematic and empirical
case studies. These should not be restricted to the sale of single
pieces of works of art to a court etc.
Please send your proposal until June 30th 2011 to Christof Jeggle
<[log in to unmask]> and to Andreas Tacke <[log in to unmask]>. Papers
accepted to be read should not exceed 30 minutes, discussion is
scheduled to last 15 minutes per paper. The conference languages are
German and English. The conference is held in cooperation of the Irsee
working group on pre-industrial economic and social history and the
ERC-project “artifex”.

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Appointment - Assistant Director (Humanities) the British School at Rome

Please circulate the below advert for the position of Assistant Director 
(Humanities) at the British School at Rome to those who may be interested.

[cid:image003.jpg@01CC2B67.EBE5E600]
Assistant Director (Humanities), British School at Rome.

The British School at Rome is seeking to appoint an Assistant Director 
to deliver an outstanding programme of academic events and support at 
Britain’s leading humanities research institute abroad, and to play a 
leading part in this exciting interdisciplinary community which brings 
together archaeology, classics, art history, history, visual arts and 
architecture.
The Assistant Director will be research active, and will be expected to 
demonstrate a continuing level of high academic achievement against an 
agreed research strategy.   The role will also require the capacity to 
generate, plan and deliver academic events of an international nature 
and standard, and to support the community within the BSR.
You will receive free board and lodging at the British School at Rome.
In addition you will receive a salary of £21,000 per annum, and you may 
opt into the USS pension scheme if desired.  The BSR will provide basic 
health insurance, and reasonable relocation expenses.
The period of engagement will be one calendar year, beginning on 1 
October 2011.
For more information or if you wish to discuss this post informally 
please contact Christopher Smith, 
[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Further information about the British School at Rome, and a full job 
description, may be found at www.bsr.ac.uk<http://www.bsr.ac.uk>
Application Process
Covering Letter, stating your capacity to and experience in supporting a 
community, your personal research aims for your period as Assistant 
Director, and how you would seek to develop the research activity of the 
BSR.
A CV, including a list of all publications.
Names of three referees
CLOSING DATE:  All to be submitted electronically to 
[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> with the Subject heading Assistant 
Director’s position, British School at Rome, no later than 5 pm BST on 
29th June.
INTERVIEW DATE:  Interviews will be held in London on Monday 25th July. 
  Part of the interview may be conducted in Italian.

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