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

Courtauld Institute of Art 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 ‘Continuity and Innovation: Reframing Italian Renaissance Art from Masaccio to
Michelangelo’, inasmuch as themes which I explore during my graduate thesis will 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. For, indeed, 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
unveils 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 found the Renaissance period, and its cultural dynamics that
surrounded it, an appealing subject. Some of the issues I would like to study in this respect
are deeply related with the relevance that certain practices had in the dissemination of ideas
and in the creation of new ways of conceiving art during this period. For instance, the
production of copies of works of art from distinguishable artists might have had a
significant function with respect to the diffusion of visual ideas and techniques between
different art schools. The study of copies and imitation in art from this educational
perspective emerges as a subject of interest in studying art from the standpoint of the value
of authorship and originality. Likewise, when taking into account the collaboration an artist
received from its apprentices in the production of its paintings and sculpture, it is possible
to pose questions on the significance of authorship and originality in considering some
works of art. These examples of study subjects, far from being an exhaustive list, are part of
the reasons why I perceive that the focus of ‘Continuity and Innovation’ turns out to be an
optimal field of study to accomplish my academic goals, inasmuch as during the course
there will be “discussions on different art-historical narratives and on a broad range of
themes such as authorship, originality, invention, and imitation [that] will complicate our
ideas about Italian renaissance 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.