Robert Bork (University of Iowa), Applying CAD to Geometrical Research in Art History: Gothic Cathedrals and Beyond. Reception to follow. Co-sponsored by Harvard Arts & Humanities Research Computing (DARTH), the Department of the History of Art & Architecture, and the Committee on Medieval Studies.

Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software can serve as a powerful tool for research in art history, allowing scholars to discern the geometrical procedures that governed the creation of many artifacts whose production histories are not well recorded. This “reverse engineering” approach to the study of artistic creativity, though, depends on the careful recording and measurement of the original object, which can be challenging, especially in the study of monumental buildings. In this talk, Robert Bork will demonstrate the value of CAD-based research in art history, emphasizing his analyses of laser-scanned Gothic structures such as Reims Cathedral, while also showing how this technique can reveal the formal logic of artworks ranging from medieval manuscripts and architectural drawings to modern paintings.