Dear colleagues,
Since the 1990s, the Netherlands Institute for Art History in The Hague (RKD) has held the important archive of Prof. Dr. J.R.J. van Asperen de Boer, founding father of infrared reflectography, which forms the basis of the RKD’s extensive collection of Technical Documentation. This letter announces the RKD’s intention to establish a lasting tribute to J.R.J. van Asperen de Boer, who passed away in July 2020. This will take the form of a regularly recurring seminar focusing on various aspects of technical art history.
In collaboration with Molly Faries and Ron Spronk, the RKD is now organizing the inaugural seminar in the series, which is planned for May 26, 2023. The first seminar will understandably be devoted to the topic of infrared reflectography (IRR) and is intended to honor the scholar and person of J.R.J. van Asperen de Boer and his many contributions to art history and related fields.
For this tribute, the RKD is requesting personal recollections to help in documenting J.R.J. van Asperen de Boer’s activities and achievements. The following questions may serve as a guide in eliciting answers that will hopefully enlarge our knowledge of his contributions and enrich his legacy.
- Do you have personal reminiscences of J.R.J. van Asperen de Boer that you would like to share?
- Do you own (or know of) photographs or recordings (audio or video) featuring J.R.J. van Asperen de Boer?
- When did you first hear about IRR, and when did you grasp the potential of the method?
- Can you provide an example of the significance of the results of IRR in your own work or research?
It may not be possible to cite all responses during the upcoming seminar, but all information will be archived at the RKD and kept in lasting memory of J.R.J. van Asperen de Boer. Any responses cited during the inaugural seminar will be contingent on the author’s permission.
We look forward to receiving interesting contributions and greatly appreciate your cooperation.
Please respond by December 31, 2022, either per email to wolters@rkd.nl or per mail to:
Stichting RKD
attn. Margreet Wolters
P.O. Box 90418
2509 LK The Hague.
With kind regards, also on behalf of Molly Faries and Ron Spronk,
Margreet Wolters, Curator Technical Documentation, RKD