I am a Heritage Scientist and Technical Art Historian, specialising in the material culture of Europe and the Mediterranean from Antiquity to the 19th century. My work integrates the physical study of artefacts with archival research on historical texts to deepen understanding of the past through an evidence-based approach rooted in antiquarianism.
Since September 2023, I have been a Lecturer in the History of Art, Materials, And Technology (MAT) at UCL's History of Art department. Here, I enrich the curriculum for MAT students by promoting an understanding of art history through materials and making processes, employing both traditional methods and advanced scientific analysis. I also lead the Material Studies Laboratory, ensuring its integration into research and teaching.
Furthermore, I hold a Research Fellowship at Linacre College, Oxford, where I contribute to collegiate activities and seminars related to Museums and Heritage. My contribution to scholarship extends nationally, as I serve as a reviewer for the UKRI ISIS Neutron and Muon Source’s Cultural Heritage panel; and internationally, as I act as an external examiner for doctoral dissertations.
My academic background includes a Joint International PhD in Archaeometry from the Universities of Hamburg and La Sapienza (2017–2020). Early-career training at prestigious institutions such as ICCROM in Rome, the Federal Institute for Materials Research in Berlin (BAM), and the Valencian Conservation Institute (IVACOR) shaped my interdisciplinary expertise in heritage science and technical art history.
Beyond Academia, I regularly collaborate with Museums and Collections to enrich visitors’ experience. My contributions have informed exhibitions and displays, including Pigments Revealed - Ruskin's Quest for Durable Colour and Victorian Colour Revolution (Ashmolean Museum) and Archeologia Invisibile (Egyptian Museum, Turin), blending scholarly research with accessible narratives for diverse audiences.
Visit Tea's RPS Profile for the most up to date information.
Research
My research bridges art history, conservation, and science, centring on the material culture of manuscripts, drawings, and paintings. By integrating archival research with scientific analysis, I aim to offer a nuanced understanding of historical artefacts, highlighting their anthropological, socio-cultural, and economic significance. This object-focused approach enhances the relevance of heritage collections and deepens public appreciation of our collective history.
I focus on key technological periods such as Late Antiquity and the 19th century, employing diachronic and cross-cultural comparisons to explore recurring patterns or unique regional practices.
Themes I am presently exploring include:
- 19th-century antiquarian interest and engagement with historical collections
- 19th and 20th-century manipulation, reuse, and repurposing of earlier manuscripts and painted objects
- The materials and making of copies, replicas and forgeries and their ideological implications
- Concepts of repair and restorations in relation to copies, replicas and forgeries
Recent projects include leading a Leverhulme Trust-funded study at the Ashmolean Museum (2021–2023) on John Ruskin’s response to industrial-era painting materials, supported by a Getty Conservation Institute training grant. Previously, as a Conservation Research Fellow for the ERC-funded Chromotope project, I analysed pigments on William Burges’s Great Bookcase, contributing to the Ashmolean exhibition Victorian Colour Revolution.
In addition to research, I advocate for the societal value of museum collections, emphasising the role of material analysis in fostering public engagement. I am particularly interested in interdisciplinary museum narratives and their impact on visitors, aiming to develop strategies that use materials and technology to enhance visitors’ experiences. My overarching vision is to humanise and democratise museum narratives, fostering greater societal appreciation of heritage while advancing preservation efforts. By leveraging science and materiality, I seek to enhance the accessibility and relevance of museum collections for diverse audiences.
Specialisms
Materials and Making, Material Analyses, Museum Studies.
Selected Publications
- Tea Ghigo and Christian Hirschle. “Painting the past in the 19th century: materials, methods and perspectives”. Heritage 2024, 7(8), 4300-4322.
- Tea Ghigo, Alberto Nodar Dominguez, 2023. “Reading the materiality of the Oxyrhynchus Papyri: non-invasive analyses to reveal scribal choices”. Archaeol Anthropol Sci 15, 132 (2023).
- Tea Ghigo, Michele Occhipinti, Andy Beeby, Kelly Domoney and Daniel Bone, 2023. “Concerns over colour durability in the nineteenth-century industrial revolution: insights from John Ruskin’s teaching collection”. Heritage Science 11, 168.
- Tea Ghigo, Daniel Bone, David Howell, Kelly Domoney, Michele Gironda and Andrew Beeby, 2022. “Material characterisation of William Burges’ Great Bookcase within the disruption of a global pandemic” Studies in Conservation, 69(1), 1–16.
- Tea Ghigo, María Jesús Albarrán Martínez, 2021. “The practice of writing inside an Egyptian monastic settlement: preliminary material characterisation of the inks used on Coptic manuscripts from the Monastery of Apa Apollo at Bawit” Heritage Science 9: 62.
Teaching and Supervision
Teaching Modules
Methods and Materials of Artists (23-24)
Introduction to Art and Science (23-24, 24-25)
Methodologies of Making (23-24, 24-25)
Art/Work/Space (23-24, 24-25)
Scientific Analysis of Artists' Materials (24-25)
Supervision
No PhD supervision at the moment