Professor of Early Modern Art and Visual Culture

The Faculty of Humanities employs just under a thousand employees, and approximately 8,000 students study there. The faculty consists of eight departments: Philosophy, Dutch Studies, Media Studies, Arts and Culture Studies, History, European Studies and Religious Studies, Amsterdam Center for Ancient Studies and Archaeology, Modern Foreign Languages and Cultures, and Literature and Linguistics. Each department is made up of capacity groups, which consist of one or more professors and a number of employees who work in the relevant field. 

The Department of Arts and Culture Studies is currently looking for a professor of Early Modern Art and Visual Culture. 

What are you going to do 

Context of the chair

The Department of Arts and Culture Studies in the Faculty of Humanities seeks a professor in art history of the early modern period, to build upon and extend existing research strengths on this topic within the Amsterdam School of Historical Studies (ASH), including the Center for the Study of Early Modernity and/or other relevant research groups within ASH. 

The Department of Arts and Culture Studies  at the UvA is a large academic department that connects research and teaching in Art History, Cultural Studies, Theater Studies, Music Studies, and Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage.

The professor will be located in the capacity group Art History which covers four chair groups: Middle Ages, Early Modern, Modern and Contemporary Art, and the History of Architecture. 

The Amsterdam School of Historical Studies (ASH)  represents and fosters the study of the human past from Antiquity to the present day. It brings together more than 200 academics from Amsterdam’s Faculty of Humanities, who participate in ca. 25 research groups. 

The Faculty of Humanities is a large and vibrant faculty, located in central Amsterdam where it is realizing a new urban campus. 

Teaching

The professor will teach in the current Bachelor and Master programmes Kunstgeschiedenis (Art History). Additionally, the professor will teach at Master level in the Research Master’s programme Art and Performance Research Studies and in the dual Master programme Curating Arts and Cultures. The professor will play a crucial role in the development of curricula in Art History and in the department of Arts and Culture Studies. An explicit vision on interdisciplinary teaching on all levels is expected. This includes a special skill in establishing productive connections between diverse academic disciplines and agents. 

The professor will be expected to teach in Dutch and English – the current languages of instruction in the BA and MA curricula – and to be able to supervise theses in both languages. 

Research

The professor will be expected to work in an interdisciplinary, unifying and active manner within the ASH research school, to develop innovative research with a broad and interdisciplinary scope on Art History of the early modern period, to raise funds and to lead larger (individual or collaborative) research projects. The professor should be able to fulfil a crucial role in the Center for the Study of Early Modernity and/or other relevant research groups within the School, developing new terrains of research and envisioning an inspiring and relevant future agenda. The professor will be expected to recruit and supervise new PhD candidates, and to act as a committee member for the defence of theses within ASH on topics like early modern art, the art market/patronage, history of collecting and material culture. In addition, the new professor is expected to also contribute to research in connection with the Conservation and Restoration programme/group, which is part of the research school 

The professor will be the figurehead of the University of Amsterdam within the field of Art History and Visual Culture of the early modern period, contributing to strengthening a vibrant international reputation. The professor will develop new momentum in order to clearly position the degree programme nationally and internationally, as well as play a role in public debate, for instance regarding global modern art in transhistorical or postcolonial perspectives. 

Leadership and administrative tasks

The professor should have proven ability in leading interdisciplinary teaching and research teams, and proven experience in administrative functions. We are looking for a candidate who can both support and motivate colleagues, creating a nurturing environment that allows other researchers to thrive. The professor should support the group’s HRM (career development, professionalization, coordination) and offer mentorship. 

The professor should not only have the proven managerial skills to guide the group, but should also be willing and able to take on administrative responsibilities at departmental and/or faculty level (including leadership of the capacity group, wider department or the directorship of ASH). 

What do we require 

The professor is an expert in the field of early modern (1600-1800) art historical research. You are expected to have a broad early - modern profile, with a special focus on global early modern art and visual culture, including Dutch Art. While know-how in object-related approaches to artworks is expected, you should equally be able to transcend disciplinary boundaries through an expertise in image-critical methods and visual culture studies, transnational and transhistorical perspectives, historical gender relations and/ or (post)colonial historical studies. 

Given the central position of the chair group of art history in Amsterdam, the professor should foster and expand teaching and research ties and collaborations with museums inside and outside the city (e.g. Rijksmuseum, Rembrandthuis, Amsterdam Museum, Mauritshuis), as well as on a global scale (like MET, Gemäldegalerie Berlin,  Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, etc.). An interest in and experience with curatorial practices, history of collecting and research on the art market is expected. Finally, a vision on the digital turn is appreciated, especially in terms of historical digital humanities and archiving. 

Candidates for the position are further expected to meet the following requirements: 

• You hold a PhD in the field of art history or a related field;
• are a productive and creative researcher with an excellent international academic reputation and publication record;
• are an experienced and enthusiastic teacher at all levels of academic training and have experience in developing teaching programmes at Bachelor and Master levels;
• have proven excellent management and leadership qualities and are a capable and enthusiastic administrator;
• can show a track record of applying for/ acquiring external research funding;
• have experience with supervising PhD projects and junior researchers;
• have an extensive national and international network with academic and cultural institutions;
• have experience with collaborative projects and are able to establish productive connections with other academic disciplines within as well as outside the department;
• can contribute to knowledge exchange in both public and academic settings. 

All foreign employees appointed at the Faculty of Humanities are expected to have a good command of both written and spoken Dutch within two years. The Faculty will assist in this process.  

Please also check the document ‘Information about chairs at the Faculty of Humanities ’  for more information. 

Our offer 

The appointment will be permanent. The gross salary will normally conform to professorial scale 2, between €5,864 and €8,539 gross per month (€81.837 - €119.170 per annum, including 8% holiday pay and an 8,3% end of year payment) on a full-time basis (38 hours per week) in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU). In certain cases, however, different terms of employment may be offered. 

Curious about our organisation and attractive fringe benefits such as a generous holiday arrangement and development opportunities? Here you can read more about working at  the University of Amsterdam. 

About us

The University of Amsterdam  is the Netherlands' largest university, offering the widest range of academic programmes. At the UvA, 30,000 students, 6,000 staff members and 3,000 PhD candidates study and work in a diverse range of fields, connected by a culture of curiosity. 

The Faculty of Humanities  provides education and conducts research with a strong international profile in a large number of disciplines in the field of language and culture. Located in the heart of Amsterdam, the faculty maintains close ties with many cultural institutes in the capital city. Research and teaching staff focus on interdisciplinary collaboration and are active in several teaching programmes. 

Questions 

Do you have any questions, or do you require additional information? Please contact:

• for questions about the chair: prof. Kati Röttger , chair of the department of Arts and Cultural Studies and chair of the selection committee;
• for procedural questions: Brigit van der Pas , secretary of the selection committee. 

Job Application 

Do you recognise yourself in the job profile? Then we look forward to receiving your application, addressed to The Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, Prof. Marieke de Goede. 

You may apply online by clicking Apply button. Applications in Dutch or English, including a motivation letter, a detailed CV and a list of publications, should be submitted as a single PDF file. 

The response period closes on 5 July 2022. Only complete applications received within the response period via the link below will be considered. 

Applications will be received by a selection committee headed by the chair of the Department of Arts and Culture Studies, Prof. Kati Röttger. Following a procedure which may involve a formal leadership assessment and a public trial lecture, the committee will make its final recommendation to the Dean of the Faculty of Humanities. The first interviews will be held around mid-October 2022. 

The UvA is an equal-opportunity employer. We prioritize diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for everyone. We value a spirit of enquiry and perseverance, provide the space to keep asking questions, and promote a culture of curiosity and creativity.

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