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The Department welcomes Veronika Knedlíková Wanková

I am a creative person with a passion for science, as it allows me to see things from new and different perspectives. As an art historian, this curiosity has led me to explore how art is perceived through the lens of psychology. That's why I'm collaborating with Marco Bertamini, Professor of Psychology at the Department of General Psychology at UNIPD, on the project called Miracle: From Mind to Canvas and Back: Unravelling the links between art history and the perception of art in early modern painting. This project aims to understand how artworks were perceived in the past and how they are perceived today, combining insights from psychology and art history. Using methods from both disciplines, we explore the emotional and psychological impact of early modern paintings on viewers and study the phenomenon of cultural exchange.

As for my academic background, I have a PhD in Art History from Charles University in Prague. I also studied the restoration of artworks on paper at the University of Pardubice. I have completed several theoretical and practical internships at institutions such as the University of Padua, the Ca' Foscari University in Venice, the Opificio delle Pietre Dure in Florence, the Archaeological Museum in Lausanne and the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelm-Universität in Bonn. I worked at the Olomouc Art Museum, where I co-organised an exhibition of Italian drawings. Then I worked as a curator at the Old Masters Collection of the National Gallery in Prague. I have participated in various research projects on Italian art in the Czech lands at the University of Pardubice and Charles University. I have also delivered lectures there on the history of Renaissance art. My dissertation was supported by a scholarship from Charles University, which led to the publication of a monograph on the decoration of Bučovice Castle, the Pearl of Moravia.

In my free time I enjoy every moment with my family. I like travelling, hiking, sewing and playing badminton. I hope to do more of my two most beloved activities - watercolour and tempera painting - and dance in an expressive dance group.