Professor Erma Hermens, Director of the Hamilton Kerr Institute and a Fellow of Clare Hall, will present an illuminating talk during the University of Cambridge’s Alumni Festival this September.

We often marvel at the amazing technical skills of artists and artisans when visiting museums. Through interdisciplinary research, combining technical art historical research with scientific analyses and imaging techniques, we try to unravel the act of making in all its facets, idiosyncrasies, and of course secrecy. In this talk, Professor Hermens will discuss this process of unravelling, discovery and wonder, through fascinating case studies, also demonstrating our limitations, despite all this technology, in trying to get under the skin of the artist and artisan.

Professor Hermens is Director of the Hamilton Kerr Institute for Easel Painting Conservation and the Conservation and Science division at the Fitzwilliam Museum. She leads a team of conservators and heritage scientists, liaising between curators, conservators and scientists, combining art historical and contextual research of art with scientific analytical data, digital imaging, and art technological source research.

Learn more about the talk, which is taking place on 24 September from 11am-12pm, via https://www.alumni.cam.ac.uk/festival/events/looking-through-art.