Colloque international organisé par M. A. Bilotta et A. Miguelez, Institute for Medieval Studies in Nova University, Lisbonne.

The main objective of this initiative is to analyze the influence of circulation, motion and mobility of people, forms and ideas on the artistic creation during the Middle Ages. This is not a completely new topic in the field of Medieval Art Studies as several scientific events have already been organized in the past years on this topic. This Colloquium aims thus to conduct a critical and constructive revision of these matters, proposing new questions to be discussed.

Session 1 : The Phenomenon of Circulation and Mobility in Medieval Europe
The first session of the Colloquium aims to contextualize the topic from a historical point of view. Thus, we will approach the phenomenon of mobility in Medieval times as follows : Why did it happen ? What kind of “products” used to travel ? Who did travel ? Where did people travel ? What reasons motivated the circulation of people ? How did the phenomenon of mobility influence the artistic production ?

Session 2 : Patrons and Promoters
Regarding the figures of clients and promoters, both individual and institutional, this session will focuse on the following issues : how did fashion and taste influence the promoters’ choices ? To what extent did their own travels and vital experiences influence their decisions when ordering new works ?

Session 3 : Artists and material authors
How did their itinerant lives influence their creations ? To what extent was conditioned the production of new works by the presence of foreign artists in specific geographical contexts ? How did artists transfer models to new places/media ? To what extent were they influenced by the models they saw when passing through other cities and by the artistic tradition they found when arriving to new places ?

Session 4 : The circulation of models
Regarding the models themselves, we will analyze the concepts of copy, reinterpretation, reuse and re-elaboration of artistic languages, the confluence of several graphic languages in the same work and, finally, the influence of old models in later works.

Session 5 : Circulation of works
Regarding the postproduction process, that is the sale and circulation of already finished works, several matters will be approached, such as the artistic market, the existence of a luxury market in medieval times, the act of collecting in the Middle Ages and the process of recently produced works becoming models for new works.
ROUND TABLE : “Causes and drivers of cultural and artistic movement in the Middle Ages”

WORKSHOP : “Materials in motion”

Programme et inscription