Category: Research
Van Meegeren's Blues
September 14 2020
Picture: The Art Newspaper
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Art Newspaper have posted this interesting article regarding recently released police documents relating to the notorious forger Han Van Meegeren (1889-1947). The Metropolitan Police's Special Branch made several enquiries into exactly where the forger sourced his pigments from. It appears that the artist purchased large quantities of the precious lapis lazuli from the British paint suppliers Windsor & Newton. In 1931 he is recorded having purchased 13 ounces of lapis from the company, a shocking amount considering the suppliers would usually only sell 1 or 2 ounces of ultramarine a year.
We might presume that modern forgers still use historic pigment merchants to help create their fakes...
George Stubbs Conference Online
September 14 2020
Picture: @PaulMellonCentr
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Paul Mellon Centre have published videos of papers given at the conference entitled George Stubbs: All done from nature. This conference took place at the beginning of the year in collaboration with the Paul Mellon Centre and the MK Gallery, Milton Keynes. The subjects discussed are wide ranging and definitely worth a look.
Free Lecture: Titian, the 'Raphael' of Venice
September 5 2020
Picture: Alinari
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz
The Istituto Italiano di Cultura Toronto is hosting a free online lecture as part of a series celebrating the 500th year anniversary since the death of Raphael. On Tuesday 8th September 2020 at 3pm (EDT) Giorgio Tagliaferro, Associate Professor in Renaissance Art at the University of Warwick, will be giving a lecture entitled Titian, the 'Raphael' of Venice, examining and comparing the different lives and works these artists produced.
As the blurb explains:
The similarities between Titian and Raphael have been largely underestimated, despite the fact that the two painters were revered as paradigms of artistic perfection until well into the nineteenth century. In today’s perception, the two artists are hardly, if any, conceived of in parallel terms, inasmuch as sixteenth-century Venice and Rome are seen as separate historical entities.
The lecture is free to attend but registration is required.
Works on Copper Video
September 4 2020
Video: The National Gallery
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The National Gallery in London have published this very interesting video exploring why and how artists painted on copper. The talk is given by art historian and curator Letizia Treves.
Dealers, Museums and the Art Market - Free Lecture
September 2 2020
Picture: Bowes Museum
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Furniture History Society are hosting a free online lecture by Dr Mark Westgarth of Leeds University on the Bowes Museum's 2019 exhibition SOLD! Dealers, Museums, and the Art Market.
This exhibition examined the history of the antique trade in Britain through objects from leading public collections. The stories of how objects came into various collections can often be just as intriguing as the objects themselves.
The lecture will be streamed live on Zoom on Sunday 6th September at 19.00 (BST). It is free to attend but registration is required.
Burlington Magazine - George Gower
September 2 2020
Picture: The Burlington Magazine
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Readers of The Burlington Magazine are in for a treat this month. A serious article has been published on the artist George Gower (c.1538-96), Serjeant Painter to Elizabeth I. Penned by Edward Town and Jessica David of the Yale Center for British Art, this article addresses lots of fascinating details particularly in regard to stylistic straits of the artist's work. Detailed technical analysis is presented, which certainly adds to the richness of our understanding in the way this artist worked. New attributions for well-known paintings have also been suggested, which is always a bold thing for an article to do. The attribution of Elizabethan portraiture has always raised lots of debate, particularly when faced with such a lack of primary source material.
If you're not a subscriber to the magazine you can purchase a PDF of the article for a mere £17.
A must read is the magazine's free-to-read editorial which gives comment on the National Trust's controversial proposed changes.
Ashmolean's 'Rembrandt' Upgraded
September 1 2020
Picture: Ashmolean Museum
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
This story was published over the weekend explaining that the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford has recently upgraded a painting that was 'long rejected as a fake and consigned to a museum basement'.
The painting of an old man was downgraded by the Rembrandt Research Project in 1981 who described the work as possibly being a late seventeenth century imitation. Recent dendrochronology undertaken by Peter Klein has suggested otherwise. Scientific investigations have shown that the wood panel was felled between 1618-28 and came from the same tree that produced panels for other works by Rembrandt and Jan Lievens. With this evidence in mind, the work has been upgraded to 'Workshop of Rembrandt'.
The painting will be added to the museum's Young Rembrandt exhibition, which is on display until 1st November 2020.
Frans Hals Lecture
August 28 2020
Picture: Frans Hals Museum
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Frans Hals Museum and CODArt (the international network of curators of Dutch and Flemish Art) are broadcasting their annual Frans Hals Lecture on 1st September 2020. The lecture is free to attend, although registration is required, and will be broadcast on Zoom. Attendees will even have a chance to ask questions at the end.
This year's speakers are Norbert Middelkoop, Curator of Paintings, Prints and Drawings in the Amsterdam Museum, and Steven Nadler, the William H. Hay II Professor of Philosophy and Evjue-Bascom Professor of Humanities at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
1911 - Rembrandt's Night Watch Revarnished
August 21 2020
Picture: RKD.nl
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The RKD have published a blog concerning the restoration of Rembrandt's The Night Watch after it was attacked with a shoemakers knife in 1911. Fortunately, it was only the protective varnish layer that was damaged by this sharp implement. After the incident the Rijksmuseum called in the family restoration company Hesterman to removed the scratch with alcohol and revarnish the painting. The above picture, recently unearthed in the RKD archive, shows the conservators revarnishing the picture from the bottom up.
For those you can't read Dutch, do copy and past the article into Google translate.
Sharing Questions of Attribution on Instagram
August 12 2020
Picture: Städel Museum, Frankfurt
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
As August is generally a rather quiet month for news in the world of old masters, I thought I'd share some interesting accounts that I've spotted on social media recently.
Bastian Eclercy (@bastianeclercy), Curator of Italian, French and Spanish paintings at the Städel Museum in Frankfurt has been sharing some geuinely interesting curatorial insights on his Instagram account.
His most recent post draws attention to the attribution of the painting of an unknown Lady pictured above. Acquired in 1850 as a portrait by Sebastiano del Piombo, the painting has since been given to no less than eight different artists over the past century. For the past twenty years it has been exhibited as a work by Peter de Kempeneer (c.1527-36), a Brussels born artist who spent some time in Italy. Eclercy points out that this artist's works from his later Spanish period are very difficult to match up to this painting. The particularly Flemish landscape, coupled with other elements that appear more Italian in style, has made pinning down a particular artist rather difficult.
Is this Raphael's Face (?)
August 7 2020
Picture: The Guardian
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Scientists at Tor Vergata University in Rome have recreated the face of the Renaissance artist Raphael (right). This rather cartoon-like image was produced using a cast that was made in 1833 when the painter's body was exhumed from the Parthenon in Rome.
Furthermore, they claim that their 3D reconstruction 'proves' that there is a clear match between contemporary likenesses of the artist and their image made from remains identified as Raphael's.
To me, this piece of scientific research makes clear that twenty-first century man's ability to make an convincing and artistic image of a human face has actually regressed since the sixteenth century.
Chatsworth Archives wins Digitising Grant
August 6 2020
Picture: Chatsworth
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Good news that the Devonshire Archives at Chatsworth have won a Cataloguing Grant from the National Archives and Pilgrim Trust to work on creating online catalogues for six of their most important collections.
The project will digitise sixteenth century accounts relating to Bess of Hardwick and other eighteenth and nineteenth century materials. The announcement seems to suggest documents relating to the famous Devonshire Art Collection will also be digitised (pictured), which is exciting news for picture researchers.
Black Presence at the Uffizi
August 5 2020
Ritratto di quattro servitori della corte mediceaIl dipinto di Anton Domenico Gabbiani, conservato alla Galleria Palatina a Palazzo Pitti, rappresenta "varj Ritratti di alcuni giovani di barbare nazioni, che stavano alla corte del Gran Duca Cosimo III., cioè Mori, Tartari, Cosacchi, ecc. vari Cortigiani di basso servizio, e tra gli altri vedesi un Nano, che tiene nelle mani un piatto con alcune foglie fresche di Spinaci, per così denotare l’inclinazione particolare in riferire gli altrui fatti, nel che fare spiccava sopra d’ogni altro”. Così veniva descritta l'opera dal biografo del pittore. Justin Randolph Thompson, Direttore del Black History Month Florence, ci spiega il ruolo di queste figure all'interno della corte medicea e sopratutto del personaggio africano presente nel dipinto. #BlackPresence In collaborazione con Black History Month Florence BHMF Sottotitoli in italiano disponibili attivando l'opzione dalle Impostazioni.
Posted by Gallerie degli Uffizi on Tuesday, July 14, 2020
Video: Uffizi Gallery
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Uffizi Gallery in Florence has begun a weekly series entitled 'Black Presence' on its Facebook channel. Each week viewers will get the chance to watch a short video explaining more behind the black figures that appear in various paintings. It is very encouraging to see that the Uffizi is branching out into digital media platforms, especially as they are one of the last major museums in Europe without a good online collections database.
The Wall Street Journal has recently published an article on the mixed reactions the feature is receiving. Alas, I cannot read it due to the paywall!
Update - Due to a very kind reader, I've now had the opportunity to read the above article. It explains more behind the media initiative, and highlights that the videos have drawn a small protest from a local far-right group.
Caravaggio's Cardsharps on Trial
July 31 2020
Picture: Burlington Press
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
This looks like an interesting book for anyone interested in what happens when art experts disagree about the attributions of paintings.
The Burlington Press have recently published the above book Caravaggio's 'Cardsharps' on Trial: Thwaytes v. Sotheby's by Richard E Spear. Spear, an expert on Italian Baroque Painting, acted as the expert witness in the case concerning a painting that Sir Denis Mahon had bought at Sotheby's and had declared a Caravaggio in full.
Here's AHN's summary of the story back in 2013.
Richard Wilson Article on ArtUK
July 31 2020
Picture: Lady Lever Art Gallery
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Dr Paul Spencer-Longhurst has contributed an interesting article on ArtUK entitled Richard Wilson: the father of British landscape painting. It is beautifully illustrated with images from the UK's public collection.
If like me you can't get enough of Wilson's landscapes, then I'd also recommend visiting the Richard Wilson Online Catalogue Raisonné project hosted by the Paul Mellon Centre. Dr Spencer-Longhurst was the compiler of this fantastic resource.
Michelangelo's 'The Dream'
July 30 2020
Video: CourtauldInstitute
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Courtauld Institute of Art in London have published this interesting video describing Michelangelo's drawing The Dream. The talk is given by Ketty Gottardo, the curator of drawings at the Institute.
Phallus Alert: The Courtauld have decided to put an age restriction on the video due to its content.
Cerruti Collection Pays Heirs for Stolen Painting
July 30 2020
Picture: ArtNews
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Cerruti Collection in Turin has paid out an undisclosed sum to keep Jacopo di Arcangelo's, known as del Sellaio, Madonna and Child with the Young St John and Two Angels (pictured). The painting, which was owned the art dealer Gustav Arnes, was seized by the Nazis during the annexation of Austria in 1938. By this time it had descended with Arnes's heirs into the Unger collection. The painting had passed through several dealers hands during the twentieth century and had sold at Christie's in London as recently as 1985 before entering the collection of the Villa Cerruti.
Unger's daughter, who is 93 and remembers seeing the painting as a child, is quoted:
At almost 93, I had lost hope that this beloved Italian Renaissance painting belonging to my parents would ever resurface. I am pleased not only that the Cerruti Foundation has reached an equitable agreement with the Unger family heirs, including a full account of the painting’s troubled history, but also that I might yet see the work itself in the Castello di Rivoli Museum in my lifetime.
This quote contains an interesting detail of the story. One stipulation of the heirs, as part of the monetary agreement, is that the painting's murky history should be published in any future catalogue notes.
Van Gogh's Roots (?)
July 28 2020
Picture: The New York Times
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The New York Times have published news that a researcher has discovered the root system that Van Gogh painted during the last few days of his life. The exact location for his painting Tree Roots (above), now in the Van Gogh Museum, has never been established. Wouter van Veen, scientific director of the Van Gogh Institute, had been investigating the area in which the troubled artist spent his last days in Auvers-sur-Oise. A spot on the Rue Daubigny became of great interest, and an 100 year-old postcard of the location (below) added further evidence to support his theory.
Van Veen's research has been endorsed by the curators of the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.
While we're at it, can anyone identify where exactly Van Dyck made this beautiful watercolour that survives at the Barber Institute? Somewhere along the Kentish Thames Estuary has been suggested in the past, and I'm sure someone will tell me if it has already been pinpointed.
Astronomers Time & Date Vermeer's Delft
July 16 2020
Picture: IFLScience
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Astronomers from Texas State University are claiming to have solved one of "the burning questions in the arts scene". Professor Donald Olson and his team have been studying the light and shadows in Vermeer's View of Delft in the Mauritshuis to try and work out exactly when it was painted. Art historians have failed to agree on these questions.
As the article explains:
"The students and I worked for about a year on this project,” Olson said in a statement. “We spent a lot of time studying the topography of the town, using maps from the 17th and 19th centuries and Google Earth.”
Central to the evidence was the light and shadow falling on the tower of Delft's Nieuwe Kerk. This narrowed down the time frame to two frames of time in either April or September.
But as they finally concluded:
As with all good detective stories, there was one last obscure piece to this puzzle – the leafy trees. In Delft’s northern climate, the trees lay bare until the end of April, ruling out the spring date. Ultimately this closed the case – Vermeer’s View of Delft was likely inspired by the scene observed on or near September 3, 1659 (or an earlier year) at 8am local mean time.
This is all interesting stuff. But, should and can paintings be interpreted as photographs are?
Burlington Magazine - Current Issue
July 15 2020
Picture: The Burlington Magazine
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
A small reminder that the current July 2020 issue of the Burlington Magazine is free to read via. their website. Included within the issue is an interesting article on the reidentification of the 3rd Earl of Bute's Finding of Moses by Tiepolo (pictured). The picture, now in the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, had actually been acquired as a Veronese by the gallery in the 1950s. The composition relates to a late sixteenth century Benedetto Caliari of the same subject now in a private collection.
