Diptychs, Pairing and Duality
in Netherlandish Art
Laura Gelfand,
Andrea Pearson, Ann Roberts and Ron Spronk
E: Lgelfan@uakron.edu
The workshop centered
on the theme of pairs A? both literal and figurative
pair A? and how they convey meaning. The most obvious
example of this pairing is the diptych, a form that
becomes rather popular in fifteenth-century Netherlands.A
Several speakers offered summaries of work in progress
to the workshop participants; these came from a variety
of perspectives. Among the issues raised were: the
origin of the diptych form, its function as a religious
object, its association with the Burgundian dynasty
(L. Gelfand), its function as a gendered object (A.
Pearson), and Asian themes in a particular diptych
of 1499 (N. Ninagawa). Conversation ensued from the
assembly of scholars in the room, with questions and
comments directed towards the presenters. Two further
groups of presenters were included, with time for
questions addressed to them too. Among the topics
raised in these parts of the workshop were: aspects
of the manufacture and marketing of diptychs (R. Spronk),
plans in the works for an international exhibit of
diptychs (J. Hand); the terminology for diptychs found
in fifteenth-century documents (L. Jacobs); paired
prints (W. Gibson); duality and pairing in narrative
structures in illuminations (L. Deam); and a seventeenth-century
altarpiece format that depends on paired structures
(A. Delvingt). The aim was to offer as much conversation
on the issue as possible andA to bring both theoretical
and technical issues together in a single conversation.
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