Thijs Hagendijk is a PhD candidate at Utrecht University, where he investigates historical manuals, recipes and other technical texts that describe and explain artisanal practices in Europe between 1500-1750. Part of his job is to get his hands dirty and to actually use these texts to better understand their historical function and value. As such, he works as a twenty-first-century novice in the historical fields of silversmithing, painting and glassmaking.

Thijs holds degrees in chemistry and philosophy and graduated in 2015 in the history and philosophy of science at Utrecht University.