VIENNA.- The English-language and open-access e-journal on Central European art history provides unrestricted access to new research findings and contributes to the breaking down of linguistic and cultural barriers.

Building on the Belvedere’s long tradition of academic publishing, the Belvedere Research Journal joins a host of notable predecessors, including Mitteilungen aus der Österreichischen Staatsgalerie (1917–21), Mitteilungen der Österreichischen Galerie (1957–93), and Belvedere: Zeitschrift für bildende Kunst (1995–2007). In keeping with the focus of the Belvedere’s collection, the new research journal is dedicated to the diverse perspectives of Central European art from the Middle Ages to the present. The online journal is published in partnership with the Heidelberg University Library as a continuous issue, with several scholarly articles released per year.

General Director Stella Rollig: Our goal is to publish innovative research that challenges conventional views, explores cross-border exchanges, uncovers connections to the rest of the world, and brings to light underrepresented artists, works, and ideas.

INCLUSION AND OPEN ACCESS

The Belvedere Research Journal aims to facilitate the transnational transfer of new and innovative research findings across linguistic and cultural barriers within a scientific community fragmented by region: the e-journal helps to break down academic barriers by supporting translations from various Central European languages into English, the current lingua franca of the academic community. We also cover the costs of image rights to support emerging scholars. As a vital component of the Belvedere’s digital content strategy, the Research Journal promotes the barrier-free dissemination of knowledge by providing open access to all articles under the maximum terms of the CC BY 4.0 license.

SELECTION PROCESS

Christian Huemer, director of the Belvedere Research Center, notes: The Belvedere Research Journal follows a rigorous selection and editorial process emphasizing quality over quantity. A peer-review system evaluates articles not only for their historical or descriptive value but also for their originality and the strength of their arguments. In addition to peer-reviewed research articles, the journal includes a contribution section termed “Discoveries,” for findings which undergo a less complex internal editorial review process to expedite publication. These shorter articles focus on the latest research about works in the holdings of Belvedere, including newly discovered objects or archival findings relevant to the region.

THEMES OF THE FIRST ISSUE

The inaugural issue, released in late 2023, begins with an editorial by Christian Huemer, Anna-Marie Kroupová, and Anna Ewa Dyrko of the Belvedere editorial team, outlining the genesis, objectives, and tasks of the new e-journal. Stella Wisgrill from the University of Cambridge contributes a scholarly article on Tyrolean altarpieces of the sixteenth century, while Franz Smola’s article presents new findings on the creation of Gustav Klimt’s Portrait of Johanna Staude, based on previously unknown source material. Finally, Katharina Lovecky uses X-ray technology to uncover surprising insights into Johann Baptist Lampi the Younger’s key work Venus, Sleeping on a Daybed.

Read the first issue of the Belvedere Research Journal HEREGallery.