The Protrusion Project focuses on an important alteration phenomenon that affects a large fraction of the world’s oil paintings: the formation of metal soap protrusions. Despite decades of research on this phenomenon, the mechanisms and conditions that trigger protrusion formation have proven rather difficult to resolve. To gain understanding of the ways in which paint composition, environmental conditions or conservation treatments affect the formation of metal soap protrusions, and to help conservators to mitigate or prevent the problem of their formation, the ability to replicate protrusion growth under controlled conditions is crucial.

Your challenge will be to become the first to successfully grow metal soap protrusions in oil paint in a short time span. This task will involve careful study of oil paintings, investigation of (historical) literature, systematic thinking about chemical mechanisms, creative paint reconstruction design and detailed analysis of paint samples. You will be supported by experts on paintings conservation, historical painting practice and oil paint chemistry, and will have access to lab facilities and a broad range of analytical tools.

The deadline for applications is 29 April 2024.