This year's 'Sculptura' study day aims to examine the issue of absolute and relative dating in the study of sculpture. Defining the date of creation of an ancient work is still a perilous exercise, and one that requires all the relevant data to be contextualised.
"Is there such a thing as absolute dating? "What does a date inscribed on a sculpture or a group of sculptures really mean? "How should we interpret the dates given in the archives: commission, contract, payment?"
While it is often necessary to include timeframes in order to situate works chronologically, it is always difficult to clearly define the time scale of the chronological ranges we define and to be certain of the degree of precision of our observation criteria (technical or stylistic).
For more information and to participate to the studyday, which will take place on 17 November 2023 in the Faculty of Philosophy and Literature at the University of Namur, you can contact the chairman of Sculptura, Michel Lefftz (michel.lefftz@unamur.be) and the secretary, Pierre Anagnostopoulos (pierreanagnostopoulos@hotmail.com).