We are pleased to announce a new, online edition of the NICAS colloquium on Thursday 27 March 2025 from 12.00 to 13.00 hrs. The colloquium will take place online through Microsoft Teams. Throughout the year, NICAS organises a bi-weekly Colloquium consisting of two short research lectures. It provides researchers with the opportunity to present ideas for, updates on or results of their activities. The NICAS Colloquium allows people to stay informed on a regular basis about the latest developments and results of research and to exchange information and expertise.
This week’s presentation is by Aurora Belli (Rijksmuseum).
► Aurora Belli – The Watermarks Project: documenting watermarks from the 17th century Dutch drawings collection at
the Rijksmuseum with low-energy X-ray radiography
Abstract
The Conservation and Science Department at the Rijksmuseum is currently conducting the Watermarks Project, focused on documenting the museum’s prestigious collection of 17th-century Dutch drawings, including works by Rembrandt and his pupils. The project utilizes low-energy X-ray radiography, combined with imaging plates, to reveal watermarks without interference from unpigmented sketches. This technique captures high-resolution images of watermarks and the entire paper sheet, unveiling the chain and laid line structure. Over two years, radiographs of thousands of Dutch drawings will be taken, with results made freely available online to the Watermark community and the public. The digital images are being organized and shared internally, while a preliminary index of identified watermarks is being compiled. The project, ongoing for over a year, has also attracted interest from other collections, demonstrating the technique’s versatility in studying paper-based artworks beyond the Rijksmuseum.
Bio
Aurora Belli has been working as a research technician for the Watermarks Project at the Rijksmuseum since November 2023, within the Conservation & Science Department. She holds a diploma in paper conservation (2022) from the Academy of Fine Arts of Bologna, Italy. Following her studies, Belli joined the Collection Team at S.M.A.K., Belgium, through the Erasmus+ program, and later worked as a junior paper conservator at the National Archives of Malta. In 2023, she published her graduation thesis on the conservation treatment and research of Andy Warhol’s artist book Andy Warhol’s Index (Book). Belli is currently working part-time on the Watermarks Project while also holding the position of Junior Paper Conservator at the Rijksmuseum.