Funded by the Getty Paper Project and hosted by the University of Amsterdam, this traveling seminar will take place March 25 – April 3, 2025, and will bring together early-to-mid-career museum professionals to address aspects of the making, preservation and scientific study of pastels.

Along with a series of lectures, participants will have an opportunity to visit significant pastel holdings in Amsterdam and Paris, the art materials manufacturer Talens, and the Maison du Pastel, founded in 1720 by Henri Roché, as well as the Centre de Recherche sur la Conservation at the national Museum of natural History. Lectures will address the materials and techniques of 18^th century pastelists, those of 19^th century pastelists, and the scientific techniques used to analyze them. Hand-in-hand with this, participants will have an opportunity to make and experiment with a variety of pastel sticks and fixatives to better understand the visual effects these and other manipulations have on the appearance of the medium.

Information and application

To apply, please send a CV and brief statement to powdered.colors@gmail.com. that summarizes your experience and interest in pastels and how this seminar would benefit your technical examination, research and preservation of pastels. For any questions please contact Emeline Pouyet, Leila Sauvage, and Harriet Stratis at powdered.colors@gmail.com. Applications are due on May 1, 2024 and applicants will be notified of their acceptance June 1, 2024.