Bogdan
- From: Arad, Romania
- Studying: PhD in History of Art (full-time)
- Funding: University Teaching scholarship
- Supervision: Prof. Helen Hills
What are your research interests / what are you working on?
"My research lies primarily in the field of Italian and Spanish painting of the sixteenth and seventeenth century. I am particularly interested in understanding phenomenological experiences of works of art, the interactions with their materiality and their evocation of the senses. Currently, I am working on Jusepe de Ribera’s images of flaying by analysing them in terms of their materiality, corporeality, violence and distinctiveness, largely employing the lens of the Sublime."
What has been the most fascinating part of your research so far, and why?
"By far the most fascinating part of my research has been the direct and prolonged contact with the artworks themselves."
What background do you come to your PhD from and what made you choose your research area?
"I have completed a two year research masters at Leiden University, The Netherlands, with a dissertation on Jusepe de Ribera’s Apollo and Marsyas and the Longinian Sublime."
Why York rather than somewhere else?
"There are several reasons, among which the most important are: my supervisor, the excellent reputation of the department, and the fact that I was offered a studentship."
How has your experience at York broadened your horizons as an art historian?
"It has introduced me to proper academic research, as well as giving me the opportunity to meet leading scholars in the field. It has also offered me the opportunity to teach, an experience that I find invaluable."
What’s the level of support like from staff and the department as a whole, are they receptive to feedback?
"I have always found the staff at York as very approachable and helpful; always addressing problems quickly and adequately."
Have you undertaken any interesting research trips?
"I have been to Rome and Naples last December for a month long research trip, and this summer – as a recipient of a Santander award – I am going for a two month research trip to Barcelona, Madrid and Sevilla."
Do you have an idea of how you’ll use your PhD/plans for the future?
"I would like to apply for a post-doctoral fellowship."
What would your dream job be?
"Museum curator or in academia."
