Rembrandt and Rubens Revisited
More insight into Rembrandt and Rubens
attributions
Replicating research is also valuable in
art history, provided that attention is paid to expertise and interp
retation. This is evident from research by art historian and curator
Charlotte Rulkens. The approach leads to more transparent and better
comparable attributions of works by Rembrandt and Rubens, among other
s.
Replication in art history
‘The impetu
s for my research is the so-called replication crisis in the biomedic
al and social sciences, which showed that many studies did not yield
the same results upon repetition. This raised the question of whether
similar problems also exist in the humanities, where expert judgment
plays a central role,’ says Rulkens.
The research shows that replication of attribution research yields more than just confirmati on of previous conclusions. ‘It makes assumptions visible, helps im prove methods, and contributes to better recording of expert knowledg e. This makes the judgment of experts, often perceived as a “black box,” more transparent and easier to discuss.’
Role
of expertise and interpretation
According to Rulkens, ot
her disciplines can learn from this. ‘In many replication discussio
ns, the emphasis lies on data and measurement methods, while the role
of expertise and interpretation remains underexposed. Yet these fact
ors are essential to understanding why studies are sometimes reproduc
ible and sometimes not.’
Importance of attributions
Attributions help determine how artworks are interpreted,
presented, and valued. Differences in expert judgment can lead to div
ergent conclusions, sometimes with major cultural and financial conse
quences. The research offers tools to make this process more transpar
ent and careful.
Method: Attribution Expert Consensus M
eeting
For the study, Rulkens, together with a multidisci
plinary team, repeated previous attribution studies of two portraits
by the young Rembrandt and a painting related to Rubens. In doing so,
she developed the method of the Attribution Expert Consensus Meeting
.
Rulkens: ‘Experts first give their judgment individually, t hen discuss this jointly, and subsequently reassess the work. This ap proach reduces mutual influence and makes visible where experts agree or disagree. In this way, outcomes can be better compared and replic ated in the future.’
More information on the thesis
DESCRIPTION: Rembrandt and Rubens Revisited More insight into
Rembrandt and Rubens attributions
Replicating researc
h is also valuable in art history, provided that attention is paid to
expertise and interpretation. This is evident from research by art h
istorian and curator Charlotte Rulkens. The approach leads to more tr
ansparent and better comparable attributions of works by Rembrandt an
d Rubens, among others.Replication in art history
‘The impetus for my research is the so-called replication crisis i
n the biomedical and social sciences, which showed that many studies
did not yield the same results upon repetition. This raised the quest
ion of whether similar problems also exist in the humanities, where e
xpert judgment plays a central role,’ says Rulkens.The research sho
ws that replication of attribution research yields more than just con
firmation of previous conclusions. ‘It makes assumptions visible, h
elps improve methods, and contributes to better recording of expert k
nowledge. This makes the judgment of experts, often perceived as a �
�black box,” more transparent and easier to discuss.’Role
of expertise and interpretation
According to Rulkens, ot
her disciplines can learn from this. ‘In many replication discussio
ns, the emphasis lies on data and measurement methods, while the role
of expertise and interpretation remains underexposed. Yet these fact
ors are essential to understanding why studies are sometimes reproduc
ible and sometimes not.’Importance of attributions
Attributions help determine how artworks are interpreted, present
ed, and valued. Differences in expert judgment can lead to divergent
conclusions, sometimes with major cultural and financial consequences
. The research offers tools to make this process more transparent and
careful.Method: Attribution Expert Consensus Meeting
For the study, Rulkens, together with a multidisciplinary team,
repeated previous attribution studies of two portraits by the young R
embrandt and a painting related to Rubens. In doing so, she developed
the method of the Attribution Expert Consensus Meeting.Rulkens: ‘E
xperts first give their judgment individually, then discuss this join
tly, and subsequently reassess the work. This approach reduces mutual
influence and makes visible where experts agree or disagree. In this
way, outcomes can be better compared and replicated in the future.�
�More information on the thesis
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