
Abbie Vandivere
Paintings Conservation, Restoration, Technical Examination
Conservering, Restauratie, Materiaaltechnisch Onderzoek van Schilderijen
From the Ground Up
Expertise

photo: Koen Suyk
Expertise
• Conservation/restoration treatments in museums, institutions and private studios
• Research, academic publications and presentations about: 15th-17th-century Netherlandish painting materials and techniques, technical art history, scientific imaging and analysis
• Media appearances and presentations for general and specialised audiences (scientific, conservation, academic), given in Dutch and English
• Technical art history: teaching and supervising BA/MA/MSc students, technical examination of artworks, making reconstructions using historically appropriate materials, microscopy
Languages
• Native English speaker
• Fluent in Dutch (passed Staatsexamen: Nederlands als Tweede Taal, Programma II; passed all levels of the INTT courses, University of Amsterdam)
• Good comprehension of French
Education
2008 - 2013
University of Amsterdam (UvA), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Diploma: PhD, Faculty of Humanities, 07/2013
Research Project: The Impact of Oil: A history of oil painting in the Low Countries and its consequences for the visual arts, 1350-1550. University of Amsterdam / Rijksmuseum
Dissertation: From the Ground Up: Surface and sub-surface effects in 15th- and 16th-century Netherlandish paintings
2002 - 2005
The Courtauld Institute of Art, London, U.K.
Diploma: Postgraduate Diploma in the Conservation of Easel Paintings, 07/2005
Thesis: The Effect of Selected Materials Used for Surface Cleaning Unvarnished Paintings, conducted at Instituut Collectie Nederland, Amsterdam
1997 - 2001
Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, U.S.A.
Diploma: B.A., Art and Archaeology: Program II in Art History/Visual Arts, magna cum laude, 06/2001
Francis LeMoyne Page Class of 1922 Award for Creative Thesis Work
Lucas Graphics Prize for outstanding work in the Graphic Arts
1993 - 1997
Shawnigan Lake School, Shawnigan Lake, B.C., Canada
Diploma: High School, Honours, 06/1997
President of Graduating Class
Professional Affiliations
• Editorial Board of peer-reviewed journals: Heritage Science and Oud Holland
• Reviewer and editor for publications in peer-reviewed journals, conference proceedings, and collection catalogues, including: Burlington Magazine, Journal of the Historians of Netherlandish Art
• Member of Scientific Working Group: Netherlands Institute of Art+Conservation+Science+ (NICAS)
• Member of organizing committee: Historians of Netherlandish Art (HNA) 2022 conference
• Member of: Restauratoren Nederland (fulfilled accreditation process in 2010), ICOM-CC (International Council of Museums – Committee for Conservation), Historians of Netherlandish Art (HNA)
Interests
• Sports: Speed skating on ice, roller skating, roller derby (captain of the All Stars team of the Amsterdam Derby Dames, 2013 National Champions; skater for Team Nederland: Dutch National roller derby team, 12th place in 2014 World Cup, Dallas); Hash House Harriers (running club); November Project.
• Visual Arts: Created series of paintings, drawings, prints and digital images based on microscopic biological images and
X-rays. Several exhibitions in the U.S.A. and Canada. Storyboard art for independent film and commercial. Mural in Starbucks in Princeton, NJ.
• Bob Ross appreciation: featured in catalogue of Happy Painting exhibition at Museum More, 2021.