Projects
Cultural diplomacy avant la lettre? The Circulation of Belgian art in the Southern Cone,1850-1914. KU Leuven
An overlooked fact in Belgium’s colonial history is that Belgian ambitions reached beyond Africa and Congo. Even less well known is the role played by art in these projects. Between 1850 and 1914 several 'colonies Belges' were established in the Southern cone (Argentine, Chile and Uruguay). These agricultural and industrial settlements were realized by entrepreneurs and private organizations and were motivated by on the one hand imperialist ...
Mapping the Antwerp-Brussels-Oudenarde tapestry complex (1600-1700) via network analysis. KU Leuven
It is a truism that 17th-century Flemish tapestry production was exceptionally capital-intensive and perilous. While investments in cartoons, labour, and material were immense – the price of a high-quality Brussels set equaled that of a battleship (!) –, the recovery of the invested capital was usually slow and problematic. Thus, tapissiers had to find ways to maximize their creditworthiness and to minimize information asymmetries ...