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Behind the Scenes in Conservation at the National Gallery

Hosted By: Art History in Focus
Speaker: Dr Kristina Mandy
Date & Time: Monday, 30 November 2026, 6:00 PM GMT
Format: Live Online Guest Lecture
Source Credit: Art History in Focus / The National Gallery, London

Join Art History in Focus for a special online guest lecture with Dr Kristina Mandy, conservator at the National Gallery in London, offering a rare opportunity to explore the work that takes place behind the scenes of one of the world’s great art collections.

Conservation plays a vital role in understanding and safeguarding works of art for future generations. Through close examination, technical research and careful treatment, conservators can reveal details about an artist’s materials and working methods that are often invisible to the naked eye.

Drawing on her work at the National Gallery, Dr Mandy will offer insight into this highly specialised field and the processes involved in studying, caring for and preserving historic paintings. The lecture provides a fascinating perspective on the relationship between art history, scientific investigation and hands-on conservation, and the expertise required to protect works in a major museum collection.

Presented live online by Art History in Focus, the event offers audiences the opportunity to look beyond the finished paintings displayed in the galleries and discover some of the research and conservation work that allows us to understand them in new ways.

How to Attend

The lecture will take place online on Monday, 30 November 2026 at 6:00 PM GMT.

Register and find further information via Art History in Focus:
Behind the Scenes in Conservation at the National Gallery

Experience Italy Through the Eyes of Those Who Call It Home

Published By: Speaking of Travel® Podcast
Host: Marilyn Ball
Featured Guests: Jane Adams & Kiki Keating
Published: July 2025
Format: Podcast Episode
Source Credit: Speaking of Travel® Podcast

In this episode of Speaking of Travel®, host Marilyn Ball welcomes Jane Adams, CEO of Artemisia Gold and former Director of Partnership Relations for Advancing Women Artists, for a conversation about rediscovering Italy through the lives and works of its forgotten women artists.

The discussion traces the origins of a movement inspired by philanthropist Jane Fortune, whose vision helped bring long-overlooked masterpieces by women artists back into public view through research, restoration and advocacy. Jane Adams reflects on the discoveries, challenges and triumphs involved in preserving these works, highlighting how conservation not only protects paintings but also restores the legacies of the women who created them.

The episode also introduces The Journey of Renaissance Women Through Italy’s Hidden Artistic History, a curated cultural tour led by Jane Adams and travel expert Kiki Keating. Designed for travellers seeking a deeper connection with Italy, the experience takes participants beyond the well-known masterpieces to encounter extraordinary works by artists whose contributions were overlooked for centuries.

Blending art history, travel and storytelling, the conversation offers a compelling invitation to see Italy from a new perspective—one that celebrates the women whose artistic achievements are finally receiving the recognition they deserve.

Listen to the Episode

The full episode is available on the Speaking of Travel® podcast and can be streamed on Buzzsprout and all major podcast platforms.

Shift Perspective: Women Artists Reframing Art History

Hosted By: Netherlands Interuniversity Institute for Art History (NIKI), Florence
Format: International Conference & Public Programme
Date: Friday, 18 September 2026

Click here register for online attendance via Teams.

Click here to view the programme.

On 18 September 2026, the Netherlands Interuniversity Institute for Art History in Florence will host A Shift in Perspective: Critically Rethinking Women Artists’ Biography in the Early Modern Period, an expert meeting organised by Romy Kerkhof.

The programme brings together art historians, historians, museum professionals and digital humanities scholars to examine the role of artist biographies in contemporary research on early modern women artists. Its central focus is how biographical texts construct, transmit and transform knowledge through source networks, narrative strategies and their wider social and cultural contexts.

The meeting takes as a key case study Francesco Maria Niccolò Gabburri’s unpublished manuscript Le Vite di Pittori, compiled between approximately 1719 and 1742. As one of the most extensive early modern biographical collections to include women artists, the manuscript offers an important point of departure for investigating how their lives and careers were recorded across geographical, linguistic and cultural boundaries.

As part of the afternoon session dedicated to individual case studies, Jane Adams of Artemisia Gold Inc. will present “Investigating Artemisia in the Spada Gallery.” Her contribution will form part of a wider discussion on archival research, attribution, conservation and the recovery of women artists’ histories.

The public portion of the programme will be presented in hybrid format and includes contributions from scholars affiliated with the University of Florence, the Museum of Rome, Save Venice and other international institutions. A later session for invited participants will consider feminist scholarship, digital archiving and sustainable infrastructures for sharing research on women artists’ life writing.

The presentations are open to the public, with the option to attend online. The expert meeting is supported by the Friends of the NIKI.

Viaggi Italiani & Artemisia Gold

Discover Italy Through Art, History & Culture

Fall 2026 Art & Cultural Tour

2–11 October 2026

Join Artemisia Gold and Viaggi Italiani for an unforgettable 10-day cultural journey through the artistic heart of Italy.

From the spiritual landscapes of Assisi to the Renaissance splendour of Florence, this thoughtfully curated small-group tour has been designed for travellers who wish to experience Italy beyond the guidebooks. Explore medieval hill towns, discover remarkable churches and museums, meet local artisans, enjoy authentic regional cuisine, and follow the legacy of pioneering women artists—including Plautilla Nelli and Artemisia Gentileschi—through exclusive, expert-led experiences.

Throughout the journey you’ll stay in carefully selected boutique hotels while enjoying private guided tours, vineyard visits, a hands-on Tuscan cooking class, artisan workshops, and exceptional Umbrian and Tuscan gastronomy. Every detail has been arranged to create an intimate and enriching experience, combining art, history, architecture and the pleasures of Italian hospitality.

Tour Highlights

• 10 Days / 9 Nights across Assisi, Florence & Fiumicino
• Boutique four-star accommodation with daily breakfast
• Private guided cultural and art-focused tours
• Exclusive experiences celebrating the legacy of women artists
• Visits to Assisi, Montefalco, Spello, Perugia, Deruta, Siena & Florence
• Tuscan cooking class and local market visit
• Winery and olive oil tasting experiences
• Farmhouse lunches and regional dining
• Welcome and farewell receptions
• All transportation throughout the itinerary
• Museum admissions, gratuities and hotel taxes included

As part of your participation, US$500 from every booking is donated directly to Artemisia Gold, supporting the conservation and restoration of important works of art and helping preserve cultural heritage for future generations.

Download the Tour Brochure (PDF)

Tour Price

US$7,950 per person
(Based on double occupancy)

A US$1,200 non-refundable deposit secures your place, with the remaining balance due 50 days prior to departure. Spaces are limited and the tour operates with a minimum of eight guests.

Reserve Your Place

To register, simply provide your passport details and contact information before submitting your deposit.

For reservations and further information:

Viaggi Italiani
Info@ViaggiItaliani.com
+1 (609) 625-7401

Experience Italy through the stories, masterpieces and landscapes that have inspired artists for centuries—and become part of preserving that legacy with Artemisia Gold.

Celebrating Artemisia Gold: New Technologies in Art Attribution & Conservation

Celebrating Artemisia Gold: New Technologies in Art Attribution & Conservation is a special podcast bringing together leading voices in art history, conservation, and technology to discuss one of the most exciting recent research initiatives undertaken by Artemisia Gold.

Hosted by internationally bestselling author and art historian Dr Noah Charney, the conversation explores the recent diagnostic campaign sponsored by Artemisia Gold on Artemisia Gentileschi’s Mother and Child, part of the collection of the Galleria Spada in Rome.

Joining Dr Charney are Dr Adriana Capriotti, Director of the Galleria Spada, and Beatrice de’ Ruggieri, technical art specialist at Emmebi Diagnostica Artistica, who will discuss the scientific investigations carried out on the painting and the new discoveries emerging from the project.

The discussion also introduces the growing role of artificial intelligence in technical art history, with contributions from Art Recognition, whose pioneering technology is helping transform the field of artwork attribution through AI-assisted analysis.

Together, the panel examines how conservation science, diagnostic imaging, archival research, and emerging technologies are reshaping our understanding of Old Master paintings and opening new possibilities for the authentication and study of historically significant works.

This special event celebrates Artemisia Gold’s ongoing commitment to the rediscovery, research, conservation, and promotion of women artists through collaboration with leading international experts and institutions.


Speakers

Host: Dr Noah Charney

Guests:

  • Dr Adriana Capriotti, Director, Galleria Spada, Rome
  • Beatrice de’ Ruggieri, Emmebi Diagnostica Artistica
  • Art Recognition (AI Art Attribution)

About Dr Noah Charney

Dr Noah Charney is an internationally bestselling author of more than thirty books translated into fourteen languages. His publications include The Collector of Lives: Giorgio Vasari and the Invention of Art, nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in Biography, and Museum of Lost Art, a finalist for the Digital Book World Awards.

A professor of art history specialising in art crime, he has taught at Yale University, Brown University, the Smithsonian Institution, the National Gallery in London, and numerous other leading institutions. He is the founder of ARCA (Association for Research into Crimes against Art) and is widely recognised as one of the world’s foremost authorities on art crime and cultural heritage.

Media Coverage: The Dot Cultura Highlights Artemisia Gold’s Plautilla Bricci Restoration Project

Author: Sebastiana Gangemi
Source/Credit: The Dot Cultura

Artemisia Gold’s conservation and research initiative dedicated to Plautilla Bricci’s Birth of the Virgin has been featured in The Dot Cultura in an article by journalist Sebastiana Gangemi.

The article explores the significance of Bricci’s monumental 1660 altarpiece, housed in the Church of Santa Maria in Campo Marzio in Rome, and examines the ambitious restoration and research programme launched by Artemisia Gold.

Beyond the conservation of the painting itself, the project includes technical and scientific analysis, diagnostic investigations, art historical research, educational initiatives, media outreach, a bilingual Italian-English scholarly publication, a documentary film, and a future public exhibition. The initiative seeks not only to restore the physical integrity of the work, but also to advance understanding of Plautilla Bricci’s artistic practice and reinforce her position within the history of Baroque art.

The article highlights the exceptional nature of Birth of the Virgin, a rare seventeenth-century altarpiece centred on female figures and commissioned by Abbess Anna Maria Mazzarino for the Benedictine monastery of Santa Maria della Concezione a Campo Marzio. It also discusses the importance of the project as an opportunity to study Bricci’s materials, techniques, and creative process for the first time through comprehensive scientific investigation.

Plautilla Bricci (1616–1705) is increasingly recognised as one of the most remarkable women artists of the Roman Baroque. A painter, architect, and sculptor, she remains one of the few documented women to have practised architecture professionally in seventeenth-century Europe.

Read the Original Article

Il grande progetto sulla Natività della Vergine di Plautilla Bricci
By Sebastiana Gangemi

Read the article on The Dot Cultura

About the Project

The total budget for the restoration and research initiative is $150,000. Funds raised will support conservation treatment, scientific analysis, documentation, publication, education, and public engagement activities designed to bring renewed attention to the life and work of Plautilla Bricci and ensure the preservation of one of her most important surviving masterpieces.

The Making of an Icon – Exhibition Introduction

Frida: The Making of an Icon – Exhibition Introduction is a live online lecture presented by Art History in Focus, offering an insightful preview of Tate Modern’s landmark exhibition dedicated to the life, work, and global legacy of Frida Kahlo.

Few artists have captured the public imagination as powerfully as Frida Kahlo. Born in Mexico City in the years following the Mexican Revolution, Kahlo developed a deeply personal artistic language rooted in Mexican culture, indigenous traditions, political engagement, and lived experience. Her extraordinary self-portraits remain among the most recognisable images in modern art, exploring themes of identity, resilience, family, physical suffering, and self-expression.

Led by renowned art historian Siân Walters, this lecture examines the key themes and highlights of Tate Modern’s exhibition before it opens to the public. Featuring more than thirty paintings by Kahlo, including rarely seen self-portraits, the exhibition traces her transformation from a relatively little-known artist into a global cultural icon. Alongside her artworks, visitors will encounter photographs, personal artefacts, and works by artists inspired by her enduring influence.

The session will explore Kahlo’s carefully constructed public identity, her relationship with Surrealism, her role within Mexican and feminist cultural movements, and the continuing reinterpretation of her legacy by contemporary artists. It also considers the remarkable evolution of her image into a worldwide cultural phenomenon and the complex questions surrounding its commercialisation.

The lecture lasts approximately one hour and includes a live question-and-answer session. A recording will be available for registered participants who are unable to attend live, allowing access for a limited period following the event.

Event Details

Hosted by: Art History in Focus
Lecturer: Siân Walters
Date & Time: Wednesday, 24 June 2026, 6:00 PM (BST)
Format: Live Online Lecture

How to Attend

Register via the official event page:

Art History in Focus Event Registration

  • Click “Book This Course/Event” and complete the online registration form.
  • A Zoom registration link will be sent by email prior to the lecture.
  • Participation fee: £10 per person.
  • Bookings close the day before the event.

More Information

For more information about the organisations involved, please visit:

Image: Frida Kahlo, Untitled (Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird), 1940. Nickolas Muray Collection of Mexican Art.

Leonardo 4 Children Summer School 2026: Climate, Equality & Peace

Leonardo 4 Children Summer School 2026 is an immersive educational programme designed to inspire creativity, curiosity, and collaboration through the themes of climate, equality, and peace. Taking place between Florence and Vinci from 29 June to 2 July 2026, the programme brings together cultural institutions, educators, artists, and researchers to offer a unique interdisciplinary learning experience for young participants.

The Summer School welcomes children aged 6–12 and young people aged 13–18, offering a rich programme of workshops, museum visits, and hands-on activities inspired by the worlds of art, science, music, design, theatre, and innovation.

Participants will begin their journey at the Museo Leonardiano in Vinci, exploring the life, inventions, and enduring legacy of Leonardo da Vinci through guided visits and educational activities. The programme then continues in Florence at the Fondazione Zeffirelli, where students will engage in workshops inspired by the artistic vision of Franco Zeffirelli, including cinema, opera, theatre, music, visual arts, restoration, design, and applied arts.

The Summer School is organised by Leonardo 4 Children and Fondazione Carano 4 Children in collaboration with the Museo Leonardiano di Vinci and Fondazione Zeffirelli. Among the contributors are educators from the Museo Leonardiano, Fondazione Zeffirelli, Erika Zoi, Gisella Cosi, Marina Calamai, and Jane Adams.

Through creativity, cultural exchange, and hands-on learning, Leonardo 4 Children Summer School encourages participants to develop new skills, explore their artistic potential, and engage with the values of inclusion, sustainability, and peace.

Event Details

Dates: 29 June – 2 July 2026
Locations: Florence & Vinci, Tuscany, Italy
Age Groups:
• Children aged 6–12 (maximum 20 participants)
• Young people aged 13–18 (maximum 25 participants)

VIEW PDF

Registration Deadline: 31 May 2026

More Information

For more information about the programme and participating organisations, please visit:

For enquiries: info@carano4children.org

National Gallery Tour: Women Artists with Siân Walters & Jane Adams

Presented by Artemisia Gold in collaboration with Art History in Focus and WAAW World, this special guided tour explores the stories of women artists and female patrons represented within the National Gallery’s collection.

Led by distinguished art historian and lecturer Siân Walters, participants will discover works by artists including Artemisia Gentileschi and Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, alongside paintings commissioned by influential women whose contributions helped shape the artistic landscape of their time.

Drawing upon decades of research and teaching experience, Siân Walters will provide insight into the historical context, artistic significance, and enduring relevance of these works, while highlighting the broader challenges of visibility and recognition faced by women artists throughout history.

Joining the tour will be Jane Adams, President and CEO of Artemisia Gold, the international charity dedicated to the rediscovery, restoration, research, and exhibition of artworks by historically overlooked women artists.

This intimate 90-minute experience offers a unique opportunity to engage with art history through a fresh perspective while learning about the ongoing efforts to restore women artists to their rightful place within the cultural canon.

Date & Time: Tuesday, 9 June 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM (BST)
Location: The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN
Meeting Point: Lobby of the Sainsbury Wing Entrance at 11:00 AM

Presented by: Artemisia Gold, Art History in Focus & WAAW World.

For more information about the organisations involved, please visit:

Italy’s Lost Women Artists Are Being Found And Rewritten Into History

Listen now on Speaking of Travel®

There’s something quietly extraordinary unfolding in Italy, inside museums, churches, and hidden archives where history has long rested in silence.

For centuries, luminous works of art created by women were tucked away, overlooked, or forgotten. Not because they lacked brilliance, but because their stories were never fully told. And still, they remained, waiting, holding their place in time.

Today, that silence is beginning to lift.

In this episode of Speaking of Travel, we’re joined by Jane Adams, co-founder and CEO of Artemisia Gold, and Susan Glimcher, whose work is helping to gently return these artists, and their voices, back into the world.

As Jane shares, “It feels less like discovering something new, and more like listening… as if these women have been speaking all along, and we are finally quiet enough to hear them.”

Together, they reflect on the beauty and emotion of restoration, not just of paintings, but of presence. Of stories re-emerging. We also explore the enduring legacy of Artemisia Gentileschi, whose life and work continue to resonate so deeply today, reminding us of the strength and resilience of women throughout history.

This is more than art. It’s a return. A remembering. A quiet but undeniable shift in how we see, and who we choose to see, when we look at history. And now, as this movement grows, Italy opens its doors and invites you to step into these stories and witness history alive again.

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