The international workshop is organised by the Institute of Art History of the Jagiellonian University in Cracow and the Research Group for Baroque Ceiling Painting in Central Europe (BCPCE).

The Early Modern period witnessed the production of a wide range of treatises addressing the art of mural painting. Many of these texts were authored by painters themselves, intended as a source of instruction for their peers. Passages dedicated to fresco techniques in the seminal works of Giorgio Vasari (1511–1574), Giovanni Battista Armenini (1530–1609), Andrea Pozzo (1642–1709), and Antonio Palomino (1655–1726) are among the most renowned and frequently cited. However, the range of topics related to mural painting found in period literature and archival sources is considerably broader. Art manuals and recipe books offer practical instructions for various techniques (fresco, secco, oil, etc.) and provide details on materials (lime, sand, pigments, binding agents) and equipment (scaffolding, masonry tools, brushes, palettes). Another distinct group of treatises focuses on the perspective projection of monumental paintings. In scientific and topographical texts, we find valuable information regarding natural resources and the chemical processes involved in preparing artistic materials. Theoretical and historical works on art may reflect upon and interpret existing monumental works. Another substantial and conceptually rich body of literature focuses on pictorial themes and explores the relationship between image and text.

The upcoming conference will explore the broad themes of reception, reflection, and the context of European mural painting in texts from the 15th to the early 19th centuries. It aims to examine the diversity of forms and the variety of linguistic variations of texts related—directly or indirectly—to mural painting (art treatises and recipe books, artist biographies, iconographic manuals and concetti, scientific literature, topographies, lexicons and encyclopaedias, journal articles, archival sources, etc.). The organisers are particularly interested in the relationship between these texts and artistic practice within the Central European context.

The organisers welcome both synthetic papers and case studies. Preference will be given to contributions that offer broader generalizations and situate the topic within wider historical, cultural, and social contexts. The workshop is held on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the BCPCE research group.

Submission Guidelines: Please submit your proposals for a 20-minute presentation, including a short abstract and a brief biographical note, by April 30, 2026, to the following email addresses: loudova@phil.muni.cz; michal.kurzej@gmail.com

Full CFP: https://ihs.uj.edu.pl/documents/12925174/154972345/048_2026_Cracow_BCPCE_CFP.pdf/