About the NAVEZ Project
The NAVEZ Project, funded by FWO, is dedicated to the exploration of the correspondence of François-Joseph Navez (1787-1869), a prominent neoclassical artist and former director of the Académie des Beaux-Arts de Bruxelles in the 19th century. This project aims to unravel the mysteries surrounding his social connections within Brussels’ art education during this transformative period.
Employing a Digital Humanities approach, our endeavor involves the digitization and analysis of among others Navez’s correspondences, which are archived in KBR (the Royal Library of Belgium). Through a computational framework, we will process these texts using natural language processing techniques to unveil the intricate social networks that influenced Navez’s roles in three pivotal areas: his impact on 19th-century art education, his tenure at the Brussels Académie, and his stature as a master in his studio.
By mapping Navez’s network, our goal is to shed light on how networking significantly influenced the art history of 19th-century Belgium. This research not only enriches our comprehension of the interplay between art, education, and society but also introduces innovative methodologies for historical social network analysis.
News
Internship Opportunity! — CLOSED
For the Navez Project, we are looking for an intern who can read 19th-century French handwriting. We already have HTR (automated handwriting transcription) on these letters, so the internship involves quality control of these results rather than transcriptions. If you would like a sneak peek into the personal correspondence of François-Joseph Navez (1787-1869), a prominent neoclassical artist and former director of the Académie des Beaux-Arts de Bruxelles in the 19th century, then this is for you!
Check the vacancy: https://www.kbr.be/en/jobs/
Our PhD Student Fien Messens at DH Benelux 2024
The Navez Project was introduced at DH Benelux 2024, showcasing the ongoing research and the innovative approaches we are employing in the exploration of François-Joseph Navez’s correspondence.
Check the abstract & the poster: 