September 19, 2011

Small correction to previous mesage: deadline for calls for papers is 1 December 2011

In my previous post, a Calls for papers for "The Illustrated Book in Belgium 1800-1865" (conference in late Fall 2012), I said that the deadline for submitting papers was 1 October 2011. Luckily this isn't so, as it is 1 December 2011. This gives you, researcher, much more time for proposals.

September 12, 2011

Calls for papers: The illustrated book in Belgium (1800-1865) (Conference, Royal Library of Belgium, 19-20 November 2012)

As there is a rather pressing deadline for papers (October 15, 2011), I'm copying the following calls for papers on the illustrated book in Belgium completely.

Before I do, I want to refer to Le livre et l'estampe LV : 2009, n° 171. Le livre is the journal of the Société des Bibliophiles et Iconophiles de Belgique (=the Brussels Bibliophile Society), with the conference contributions for The illustrated book in Belgium more or less after 1865, so for the late 19th and the 20th centuries: Peintres de l'encrier - Le livre illustré en Belgique (XIXe-XXe siècle), edited by Denis Laoureux (Brussels, ULB, international conference in 2009). Recommended reading.

Call for papers

Colloquium: The illustrated book in Belgium (1800-1865).

Royal Library of Belgium, 19 and 20 November 2012.

Organisation: Royal Library of Belgium, in collaboration with Vlaamse Werkgroep Boekgeschiedenis en Groupe de contact FNRS ‘Documents rares et précieux’.

Scientific committee: Pierre Delsaerdt (Univ. of Antwerp), Alain Jacobs, Denis Laoureux (ULB), Jan Pauwels (KBR), Claude Sorgeloos (KBR), René Plisnier (Univ. of Mons, ULB), Stijn van Rossem (Univ. of Antwerp), Tom Verschaffel (KUL).

Organisation committee: Claude Sorgeloos (KBR), Leni Verbogen (KBR).


The illustrated book of the 19th century has been studied for the productions of the end of the century, a time when artists were renewing layout. The previous period is much lesser known, despite the works of J.H.M. Van der Marck on lithography, Tom Verschaffel on the meaning of romantic historiography and Remi Blachon on wood engraving. The colloquium wants to define this area of research and fine-tune our knowledge of this period. The works of the colloquium will have several approaches.

Techniques and forms

The 19th century gave birth to a plethora of techniques: lithography, chromolithography, wood engraving, etching, steel engraving, photography and photolithography, etc. The colloquium will address the history and evolution of these techniques, as they necessarily have incidences on the production of illustrated prints, their editorial aspects and layout. The industrial era of the 19th century saw prints change shape, with the illustrated cover being taken into account. This also goes for the romantic polychrome outer covers and outer covers of textile editors, adorned with golden plaques.

Persons

Another orientation will emphasize the works of artists like Jean-Baptiste Madou, Charles Onghena, Charles Baugniet, Adolphe-François Pannemaker, Paul Lauters, Henry Brown, artists from the l’École Royale de Gravure in Brussels and the students of Luigi Calamatta on the early works of Félicien Rops, as well as unknown artists. Their works will be put into perspective with the painting and engraving by examining the respective part of the engraver and that of the illustrator or painter, and its necessary relation with the text.

Locations

Another approach will help define a synthesis related to illustrated prints in certain editorial locations: Antwerp, Bruges, Ghent, Brussels, Liège, Mons or Tournai. The emphasis could be on certain enterprising editors, such as Vandecasteele-Werbrouck and Buffa in Bruges, Dominique Avanzo in Liège, Dewasme-Pletinckx in Tournai and Brussels, as well as certain institutions such as the Société des Beaux-Arts or the Société belge de Librairie de Hauman in Brussels.

Genres

Techniques and artists have close relationships with the genres practiced: religious publications, literary works, history books, commemorative publications, art books and facsimiles, illustrated press and magazines, almanacs, popular books, scientific books, atlases, topographical guides, publications linked to railroads, views of castles and picturesque sites, etc. This constitutes yet another approach.

Distribution

The study of the commercial distribution of these illustrated publications in Belgium or abroad in particular forgeries will help address economical aspects. The distribution takes into account subscriptions, subscriptions to series and collections, printing on paper and different mediums according to target audiences, the geography of commercial networks, the use of these prints and their readership.

Continuity

Finally, we would like to define the view of these illustrated publications of the 19th century, their continuity and study them by addressing the problem of collections, collectors, as well as certain funds of representative libraries of the genre.

The colloquium will take place at the Royal Library of Belgium on 19 and 20 November 2012. Registration is free. The acts of the colloquium will be edited.

We kindly ask you to send in a communication proposal and a working title before 15 October 2011, accompanied by a résumé of no more than a half page.

Contacts:

Claude Sorgeloos

Royal Library of Belgium

Old and Rare Books Section

Blvd. de l’Empereur, 4

1000 Brussels

Phone: 02.519.5731

Fax: 02.519.5735