Plautilla Nelli - Restoring Her Place as a Florentine Renaissance Painter, Prioress and Workshop founder, 500 years on

A symposium organised by the TCD Art Collections in conjunction with the Department of History of Art and Architecture in the School of Histories and Humanities.

As Florence marks 500 years since the birth of the first woman to be acknowledged as a recognised artist of the Renaissance, we take a look at Plautilla Nelli’s self-taught artistic practice and the wider social and cultural context of the artists workshop she founded within the convent where she was Prioress. In addition, we explore why her work was effectively lost to history, until now, despite being the only woman known to have painted a Last Supper during the Renaissance era. We delve into how conservation and technical art history research using new technologies are helping to reclaim her place in history and to rediscover her and her workshop's paintings.

Plautilla was recognised as an artist during her lifetime, and, despite the severe restrictions of training and career opportunities afforded to women, she was one of only three women included by her contemporary Giorgio Vasari in his seminal writings on the ‘Lives of the Most Eminent Painters, Sculptors and Architects’ (1568).

This symposium brings together from Ireland, Italy and the Netherlands, established experts and student researchers as next generation professionals in the fields of art history, conservation, and technical art history’ – to discuss the art of Plautilla, her workshop, and how recent scientific diagnostic technologies are helping to ‘restore’ her artistic standing to the contemporary consciousness.
We are keen to welcome as many students as possible to attend, especially as we are building contacts with conservation studios and projects in Italy with the aim of expanding paths into the fields of conservation and technical art history.

Symposium concept and co-organisers: Ireland-Italy Projects Jane Adams, Caravaggio & Contemporary / Artemisia Gold and Dr Brenda Moore McCann, Independent Scholar and Adjunct Lecturer, TCD).
Co-organised by: Catherine Giltrap, Head of the University Art Collections, TCD and Dr Catherine Lawless, Director of the Centre for Gender and Women's Studies and Lecturer in the History of the Art, TCD.

Please indicate if you have any access requirements, such as ISL/English interpreting, so that we can facilitate you in attending this event. Contact: catherine.giltrap@tcd.ie