122nd Distinguished Research Lecture: Kirk Ambrose
The Authentic and the Counterfeit in Medieval Art
Tuesday, November 28, 2023, 4–5 p.m. (Q&A and reception to follow)
Chancellor's Hall and Auditorium, Center for Academic Success and Engagement (CASE)
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Authenticating relics was a foundational activity during the Middle Ages in Europe, for it was widely understood that these earthly remains of saints offered a vehicle for the divine to work miracles, from healing the sick to punishing—and even killing—enemies of the Church. Because possessing a venerable saint’s bodily remains could bolster the prestige and financial fortunes of institutions, the temptation to invent fake claims could be great. Indeed, the years between 1000 and 1150 have been dubbed the “golden age of medieval forgery.â€
To explore how institutions bolstered their claims to possess authentic relics in this period rife with fakes, Professor Ambrose's lecture will focus on the case of the monastery of Sainte-Foy, Conques, in France. He will examine how this community used the visual arts to advance their claims, as well as to condemn those who engaged in counterfeiting practices.
Kirk Ambrose is a professor in the Department of Classics and founding faculty director of the Center for Teaching & Learning.
Ambrose received his master’s and doctorate in the History of Art from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in art history from Oberlin College.
Ambrose specializes in the art and architecture of medieval Europe and has published four books and dozens of scholarly articles on the topic. With Steven Martonis, he curated two exhibitions at the Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØArt Museum on the art of the American West, including Pioneers: Women Artists in Boulder, 1898-1950, which was the basis for a feature-length documentary film. He served a term as Editor-in-Chief of The Art Bulletin, the journal of record for art historians in the U.S.
Among other research projects, Ambrose is currently at work on a book provisionally entitled The Frailty of Eyes, which connects medieval studies and art history with the rich theoretical concerns of disability studies. His students continue to serve as an inspiration and as thought partners.