Chemistry and Art (2025/2026: Semester 1 – Winter)

Bekijk rooster Print deze pagina

Cursusdoel

After following course you have …
1. … experienced the position of chemistry as an interdisciplinary field of science by investigating its links to the history of science and (technical) art history
2. … obtained practical skills and can work safely in a laboratory setting, perform simple chemical reactions and use appropriate analytical techniques to investigate the end products
3. … applied the scientific method to a specific example (the cycle of observation, formulating a research hypothesis, setting up experiments, testing and falsification, theory development).
4. … learned how to keep a logbook and write both a scientific report and the annotation of a reconstructed historical recipe.

Assessment
practical work, safety and logbook (33%)
skill-building reports (33%)
annotation of a reconstructed historical recipe (34%)

Vakinhoudelijk

In this science lab course, which provides a connection between the fields of chemistry and technical art history, students are introduced to the relatively new historical method of reconstructing historical recipes and technical instructions. In the course of two weeks, they work on reconstructions of artisanal recipes that can be found in the Italian treatise: De' secreti del reuerendo donno Alessio Piemontese. Published for the first time in 1555, this book of secrets went through several editions and translations and proved immensely popular in six- and seventeenth century Europe. The students document the entire reconstruction process and write a concise annotation of the recipe they have worked with. The results are made available online and extended each time the course is offered.

Format
The course takes place at UU’s Van’t Hoff Laboratory for Physical and Colloid Chemistry and involves a visit to the Atelier Building and Library of the Rijksmuseum. During the course students first receive instruction how to read and interpret old books and manuscripts and how to conduct experiments in a modern lab setting. Based on the close reading of a specific recipe, they reconstruct the material and rework the method adapting it to modern lab conditions and safety standards. Examples of such recipes are historical inks or paints and imitation pearls. The resulting materials are investigated and characterised with modern scientific techniques. Students learn to appreciate the keeping of a lab journal and use the latter to make both a concise annotation of the original recipe and a modern synthesis instruction. In their final report they describe their results both from an (art) historical and a scientific perspective.

Attendance
Due to the short duration and intensive nature of the lab course, 100% attendance is required, including the visit to the Rijksmuseum.

Werkvormen

UCU SCI lab course

Toetsing

Eindresultaat

Verplicht | Weging 100% | ECTS 2,5

Ingangseisen en voorkennis

Ingangseisen

Er moet voldaan zijn aan de cursus:

Voorkennis

Er is geen informatie over benodigde voorkennis bekend.

Voertalen

  • Engels

Cursusmomenten

Gerelateerde studies

Tentamens

Er is geen tentamenrooster beschikbaar voor deze cursus

Verplicht materiaal

Er is geen informatie over de verplichte literatuur bekend


Aanbevolen materiaal

Er is geen informatie over de aanbevolen literatuur bekend

Opmerkingen

Registration for lab courses closes approx. 3 months prior to start. 3 modules to be taken in 2 consecutive terms

Coördinator

dr. G.S.A.T. van Rossum G.S.A.T.vanRossum@uu.nl

Docenten

dr. T. Hagendijk t.hagendijk@uu.nl
dr. M. Barroso m.barroso@uu.nl
dr. D. Thies-Weesie D.M.E.Thies@uu.nl

Inschrijving

Let op: deze cursus is niet toegankelijk voor studenten van andere faculteiten, bijvakkers mogen zich dus niet inschrijven.

Naar OSIRIS-inschrijvingen
Permanente link naar de cursuspagina
Laat in de Cursus-Catalogus zien