Willingly to enrich my previous graduate research work, I have chosen to study in the

Courtauld Institute as I expect to connect my studies on art philosophy with art history. And
one of the main reasons for me to study in Courtauld is my belief that some of the special
options offered will allow me to accomplish this. That is the case, for example, with 'Early
Netherlandish Art c.1380 – c.1530. Reinterpreting the Object', inasmuch as themes which I
explore during my graduate thesis could take an important place on the discussions that will
arise during the course.
As I aim to link art history with the work I have developed in philosophy, this option is
highly attractive for me. My graduate thesis on philosophy examines whether or not a
forgery could be considered a work of art. The concepts of originality, authenticity, and
authorship were deeply analyzed in my work, based on contemporary philosophical art
theories and paradigmatic examples of forgeries. One of the most thrilling features I
highlight from my thesis is the reconsideration of the value that originality has in the
artworld, for it is commonly believed that originality is a necessary condition for a work of
art to be considered as such. In this sense, I focused in my thesis on creating and
developing counterarguments against contemporary art theories that blindly defend
originality as if it was the cornerstone of art. As a result, I argued that in some cases it is
plausible to accept certain objects as art that are not usually considered as such. But this
reveals several paradoxes that hide behind common beliefs about art. In this way, after
concluding the thesis I felt the necessity to confront my philosophical research with the
study of particular art objects and the context that surrounds them.
Thus, having this in mind, I find ‘Early Netherlandish Art’ to be an appealing subject,
inasmuch as it is focused on unveiling the value of certain works of art by studying in detail
the materiality of objects and their original production. The course objective by itself poses
different queries about the attributions of value and meaning that an artistic object may
have based not only in what an image represents, but in the way it was created and the non-
artistic elements that took part in that creation. In this way, when taking into account the
materiality of objects to convey its meaning, questions about the relationship between
originality, authenticity, and artistic value arise. This study subject is part of the reasons
why I perceive that the focus of ‘Early Netherlandish Art’ turns out to be an optimal field
of study to accomplish my academic goals, inasmuch as during the course there will be
discussions aimed to answer inquiries such as “How might we re-write the history of this
major period of artistic production if we return to the objects, and their materiality? What
can we learn from close looking, aided by technical analysis, about their structure, their
original form, their materials, their facture, their attribution, history, restoration and
meaning?”. These questions, without a doubt, are deeply related with establishing a link
between originality and art.
My aspiration is to apply my previous academic experience to the study of art history,
and Courtauld, I believe, fits adequately to my purposes. Fostering my thoughts among
fecund debates, and establishing cross-disciplinary research based on my previous
academic work are some of the benefits I expect to encounter at the Courtauld Institute.