Painters Research Articles

The Advantages of Using Gels for Removing Glutin Glues from the Back of a Canvas: the Case of a 19th century Painting Entitled Composition with A Vase

The Advantages of Using Gels for Removing Glutin Glues from the Back of a Canvas: the Case of a 19th century Painting Entitled Composition with A Vase

Historical, artistic-aesthetic view of Julfa illustrations in XIX-XX century painting and graphic art

Historical, artistic-aesthetic view of Julfa illustrations in XIX-XX century painting and graphic art

A Combined Experimental and Computational Approach to Understanding CdS Pigment Oxidation in a Renowned Early 20th Century Painting

A Combined Experimental and Computational Approach to Understanding CdS Pigment Oxidation in a Renowned Early 20th Century Painting

Lost Architecture Remodeling: An Iconographic Reading

In the Middle Ages, images had useful functions, particularly among illiterates. In holy places pictorial representations helped to instruct illiterates, making them understand the stories that were represented, recognize the Saints, and perceive the meaning of their attributes. The representation of a miniature model of a church associated with a saint often denotes that he had erected holy places as symbols of the ‘building up’ of the Church through the Doctrine and his own theological writings. A model of a town often refers to the town where the church holding the painting was located. A miniature model of a medieval town is usually offered to the Virgin by the patron saint of the city which is represented. This article intends to illustrate how the representation of an architectural miniature model, as the main attribute of a saint in medieval iconography, has influenced the process of remodeling lost architectures that have changed shape over the centuries due to reconstruction or restoration. Architectural miniature models, represented as an iconographic attribute of a saint, are shown in numerous 14th to 15th century paintings. The usefulness of a maquette, in remodeling both the aspect and the style of a structure, is underlined by impressively precise architectural details which characterize the suggestive and eloquent examples of maquette examined in this study.

Proliferation of the Subject of Christ Cleansing the Temple in 16th Century Painting: The Urban-Sociological Context

This paper aims to provide the urban-sociological context for the significant proliferation of the topic of Christ Cleansing the Temple in 16th-century painting. Widely accepted interpretations of this phenomenon consider it exclusively in the context of the Counter-Reformation, i.e. the Catholic Revival, considering the topic to be a symbol of the rejection of Protestant dogma or, otherwise, the Church's struggle against the demoralization of its clerics. The Counter-Reformation context is indisputably significant. However, certain socioeconomic processes that mark the 16th century, such as the development of protocapitalism in Italy, i.e. the establishment of year-round trade in the city and the emergence of a new, politically and economically dominant class of merchants and bankers, also emerge as an aspect worth examining. French sociologist Henri Lefebvre considered the 16th century to be a turning point in the development of urban forms and pointed out the connection between this biblical story and the disdain for the restructuring of the city which was due to those changes. Owing to his theses on the production of space, we will observe a dual involvement of the Church in the motions of inhibition and initiation of processes which, by producing a new type of space, disrupt the balance that ensured its material and symbolic power.

Traditionalism in Development of Painting Decoration of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra’s Great Church in the 18th – 21st Centuries

The purpose of the article is to study the factor of traditionalism in the development of the complex of murals of the Great Church (the Dormition Cathedral) in the 18th – 21st centuries. The research methodology is based on historical, cultural and art historical analysis. Scientific novelty of the study. Traditionalism is defined as a factor in the development of mural painting of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra’s Great Church (the Dormition Cathedral) in the 1720s–2020s. The author reveals that traditionality was implemented in the principle of continuity in the formation of new murals. The imitation of a number of thematic and narrative lines of the seventeenth-century murals in the decorations of the 1720s, as well as the murals of the 1720s and 1770s in the compositions of 1811 and the decorations of the late nineteenth century is studied. The author proves that the main visual source of the reconstruction of the twenty-first century painting was not the painting of the 1720s but of 1840-1843 and some compositions of the 1770s and 1811. The change in the location of traditional subjects is identified as one of the means of innovation in the programmes of new paintings. The continuity of a wide range of compositions, including the themes of the Baptism of Rus and the Pechersk Monastery, is traced. Conclusions. Traditionalism had a significant impact on the development of the monumental painting of the Great Assumption Church in the 18th-21st century. The programmes of the new paintings of the 1720s and especially of 1894 show the imitation of thematic and narrative lines from the previous paintings. During the renovation of the entire church interior (1772–1777, 1840–1843) and exterior (1809), as well as the renovation of certain compositions (for example, in 1811), he imitation of paintings was almost unchanged (this was a requirement of the Kyiv metropolitans). According to the principle of continuity in the XXI century, artists created a baroque image of the Great Church, using archival sources of paintings from 1840-1843, 1811, and 1772-1777. The continuity provided a historical connection between the murals of different centuries in the Dormition Cathedral. Key words: sacral culture, Orthodoxy, sacred monumental painting, Ukrainian painting, Kyiv‑Pechersk Lavra, Dormition Cathedral.

Scanning macro x‐ray fluorescence spectroscopy maps for matching 17th century paintings color areas to different earth pigments uses and for investigating attribution issues

AbstractFe and/or Mn‐containing yellow ochre, red ochre, and umber earth pigments are omnipresent in 17th century paintings. Less common in the materials used in historical paintings of this period is the Fe and Mn‐rich earth pigment sienna. Different uses of historical pigments in one painting by Georg Flegel (1566–1638) and another version of the same painting but of disputed attribution were recently uncovered by means of macro‐x‐ray fluorescence (MA‐XRF) scanning and other non‐invasive analytical techniques. In this paper, an approach solely based upon the correlation of Fe and Mn MA‐XRF maps with the optical image of the painting is compared to the use of Mn/Fe correlation plots. The identification of clusters within a plot of the Fe counts vs. the Mn counts can aid to infer whether an area with a certain color matches with the use of the earth pigments found in the two paintings and to ultimately shed light on the different usage of these pigments. The analytical thresholds found in the Mn/Fe correlation plots allowed to identify clusters differing in composition, which matched an area of a certain color with the earth pigments used therein. This highlighted the differences and similarities between the two paintings, ultimately ascertaining the lower value of the painting of disputed attribution. The analysis of single‐pixel spectra allowed refining the interpretation of specific Mn/Fe correlation plots. The purpose of these data evaluation steps is presented and the limitations of the proposed methodology are also discussed.

Non-Invasive Study of the Pigments of a Painting on Copper with the Inscription “Boceto di Pablo Veronese” on the Back

The palette used on a small painting on copper support, with the inscription “Boceto di Pablo Veronese” on the back, was characterized. Non-invasive techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD) and hand-held X-ray fluorescence (XRF) were proven to be highly effective for this. The objectives of the proposed work were twofold. On the one hand, the objective was the study, in situ, of the pigments of a painting on a copper support. On the other hand, it was to enrich the literature related to the study of paintings on metal supports, since few related studies are available despite the relatively large number of such 16th and 17th century paintings from Italy and Northern Europe. The results of the analysis showed a copper support with a base layer of gypsum mixed with ochre earths. Atop this layer is a sketch with lead white in the lighter areas and bone black in the darker shadow areas, suggesting that the artist performed a preliminary study of the luminosity of the scene. Finally, the upper or pictorial layer consists of a mix of pigments with some lead white to lower saturation and increase lightness, particularly evident in the flesh tones. The resulting palette thus includes lead white, vermilion, bone black, Naples yellow, and lazurite pigments. These results are compared to Veronese’s other paintings, as well as to those of certain contemporary artists, and the use of the resulting pigments in 16th and 17th century Italian painting techniques is discussed.

Systematic study of wall painting of the twelfth century from the Christ’s Transfiguration Cathedral of the Mirozhsky Monastery in Pskov (Russia) by complementary physico-chemical methods

The unique pre-Mongolian twelfth century wall painting from the Christ's Transfiguration Cathedral of the Mirozhsky Monastery in Pskov (Russia) have been investigated. A little less than 200 XRF spectra were collected in situ by portable spectrometer. Moreover 19 samples were subjected to additional in-depth laboratory analysis by six complimentary physico-chemical methods: neutron activation analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, micro-Raman spectroscopy, polished cross-sections, polarized microscopy, and chemical microanalysis. Pigments and plasters from the interior painting, fragments found during archaeological excavations, samples from exterior murals, and sample of salt efflorescence were analyzed. The samples included the author's twelfth century painting as well as late repaintings. The composition of pigments and the number of painting layers were determined. Conclusions about organic binder presence or absence, and the painting technique were drawn. The results obtained will be used for restoration and conservation works.

Программа росписи придельной церкви преподобного Саввы собора Рождества Богородицы Саввино-Сторожевского монастыря

The article is devoted to the general analysis of the monumental painting program of 1649–1650 in St. Savva’s Chapel of the Nativity Cathedral at the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery near Zvenigorod. The article studies the murals and iconography of some compositions for the first time, considers the reasons for the appearance of different themes in the program, and reconstructs the conception of the whole program. Despite the original murals being covered with the late 19th century painting, it is highly probable that the existing layer closely follows the 17th century program based on earlier traditions. This is confirmed by the presence of the image of Saint Gury of Kazan, whose image of which has been known since the beginning of the 17th century, the vita cycle of Saint Savva, the structure and content of which are similar to the monuments of the second half of the 16th — middle of the 17th century, and also composition “The Appearance of the Virgin to Apostle Peter of the breaking of bread”, also known in monumental painting since the beginning of the 17th century.

Themes of Christian Spirituality, New Plastic Forms and Perception of Visual Formulas in the XXth Century French Musical and Theatrical Works

For the first time, the author of this article considered a set of themes related to Christian spirituality in the works by P. Claudel, A. Honegger and O. Messiaen which were created for the XXth century French synthetic theater and offered a new reading into the holiness and Christian behavior. New plastic forms of stage movement and dance, which depicted modern ways of organizing stage space, have been defined as an integral part of French works for musical theatre. What has also been found is the results of perceiving visual formulas in some of the XIIIth and XVth cenury paintings. Special plastic forms, which are subject to the laws of dance, shaped about a concept of "dancing form" in the XXth century French musical and theatrical works. In synthetic musical and theatrical works, a game of form, proportions, light and color was designed. Some XXth century French playwrights and musicians perceiving visual formulas in the XIIIth and XVth century paintings led to expanding the range of interacting elements pertaining to various arts in several musical and theatrical works. Those by P. Claudel, A. Honegger and O. Messiaen play a significant role on the stage and reveal both a “considerate attitude towards the past” and “mediation with modern life”, as H. G. Gadamer said.

Indelible marks: Beth Harland’s absorption

ABSTRACT The article traces Beth Harland's approach to painting practice in light of her engagement with Michael Fried's interpretation of eighteenth and nineteenth century painting and her fascination with Marcel Proust's À la recherche du temps perdu. The contrast between reflection on phenomena of inner life and a painting’s audience address is explored through a reading of passages from Nietzsche’s The Gay Science, Proust's Contre Sainte-Beuve and Fried's writing about theatricality and absorption. Harland’s practical and theoretical explorations of the situation and possibilities of contemporary painting, illuminated by her engagement with notions of theatricality and absorption, are then outlined. After considering Hans Belting’s views on seriality and processes of re-working, the article concludes by suggesting that Harland sought and achieved a buoyant working relationship between formational contraries, avoiding both hypostatisation and easy compromise.

The 17th Century Dutch Art in E.I.Rotenberg’s Studies

The contribution of Evsei Rotenberg to the studies in history of the 17th century Dutch art is analyzed in this article. Investigations in Dutch art of the Golden Age were one of the main lines in scientific interests of Evsei Rotenberg, great specialist in classical West-European art, during all his activity. He also wrote about Italian Renaissance, especially Michelangelo and Titian, and about the most important esthetic and creative problems and tendencies of the 17th century art, the greatest masters of this epoch. The paper highlights his evolution as a researcher from point of view subjects and methodology of studies, analyzes the conceptual ideas explaining the specificity of the Dutch art, shows their place in Russian scientific tradition and their significance for the further development of art historian science. His professional formation was held under guidance of Prof. B.R.Vipper in Moscow University and in post-graduate course. Rotenberg’s PhD dissertation (1956) was devoted to realistic bases of Dutch art of the period of flourishing (Rembrandt and masters of genre painting). He is the author of works about Rembrandt and Vermeer, the monograph about development of the Dutch art including architecture, sculpture and decorative crafts. His most fundamental investigations — “West-European 17th Century Art” and “West-European 17th Century Painting. Thematic Principles” — were published in 1971 and 1989. Rotenberg analyzed Dutch school in aspects of style and non-style line and relationships between mythological and non-mythological creative conceptions in art of this epoch.

경관·예술·관광의 상호관계를 통해 본 문화·자연유산의 탈경계성

This paper traces the process of the heritagization of the landscape of Fontainebleau Forest in France, while trying to understand interrelationship between landscape and tourism as heritage through historical approach on representation of a place. The artistic and aesthetic landscape of the Fontainebleau Forest was represented as a work of art through the gaze of the 19th century painters. Through the activities of these artists, who were also visitors, the forest became an artistic conservation area and a beloved place for Parisians, and the landscape gradually began to be protected as an institutionalized heritage. On one hand, tourism could be seen as an opposite concept to forest conservation, but on the other hand, the aesthetic and historical value of the landscape has been developed together as a tourism component. Local governments and actors are trying to preserve the landscape and the identity of place through the development and promotion of artistic visits, following the footsteps of painters. In the ever-expanding concept of heritage, this case study shows the necessity of an integrated approach to understanding the interaction between cultural and natural heritage, and the possibility of developing organically in relation to landscape and art rather than a separated policy.

권훈칠과 마키아이올리: 안식과 치유의 공간으로서의 풍경화

Kwon Hoon-chill, who appeared in the 1970s with abstract paintings known for thick textures, suddenly left Korea to study in Italy in the late 1980s. While studying in Italy, he abandoned the texture-oriented abstract painting advocated by his master Jung Chang-seop and devoted himself to landscapes. He had consistently done landscapes before he came to Italy. His renewed passion for the genre was sparked when his studies in Rome led him to Ottocento, or 19th century painting in Italy. Ottocento was created by a group of Italian painters known as Macchiaioli, who wanted to capture the land and scenery of their homeland, an artistic movement that reflected a nationalist fervor for unification in Italy. Starting in Tuscany and Florence, the Macchiaoli developed a style that were often compared to that of the French Impressionists, which soon became internationally prominent. The Italian painters were, pursuing their own nationalist agenda; representing natural scenes of the homeland set in the composition reminiscent of the Italian Renaissance masters. Many of Kwon Hoon-chill’s domestic watercolor landscapes were clearly influenced by the Macchiaoli; full of space, individual rest, and love for his country and landscape.

Necessity and Use of a Multilayer Test Object Based on an Anonymous 19th Century Copy of a Painting by Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky (1817–1900)

The emergence of new research methods in the field of heritage science always raises a large number of questions related to their applicability, reproducibility of results on similar objects, complementarity with other methods, and development of new research methods. To solve such problems, it is necessary to have a test object with the required structure. A multilayer test object based on a fragment of a copy of a 19th century painting by I.K. Aivazovsky was created and described. Analytical studies of the colourful layers were carried out on a Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometer with an attenuated total reflectance (ATR) attachment in single-reflection mode with a diamond crystal. As part of the use of one research method, differences between painting layers of the 19th and 20th centuries were revealed. Results are presented in the IR graphs. The aim of the work was to identify the characteristics of the pictorial layers inherent in the copy of the painting by I.K. Aivazovsky. This will improve the methodology of technological expertise of the I.K. Aivazovsky’s artworks.

Singing in Dark Times: Report from Berlin

Singing in Dark Times: Report from Berlin

Visualising iron gall ink underdrawings in sixteenth century paintings in-situ by micro-XRF scanning (MA-XRF) and LED-excited IRR (LEDE-IRR)

Until today, iron gall ink is classified as an exceptional underdrawing material for paintings. Its study and definite identification is usually based on invasive analysis. This article presents a new non-destructive approach using micro-X-ray fluorescence scanning (MA-XRF), LED-excited IRR (LEDE-IRR) based on a narrow wavelength-range of infrared radiation (IR) for illumination and stereomicroscopy for studying and visualising iron gall ink underdrawings. To assess possibilities and limits of these analytical techniques, the approach was tested on panel paintings by Hans Holbein the Elder and Giovanni Battista Cima da Conegliano. Results are compared to invasive examinations on cross-sections using scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDX). The holistic setup could successfully visualise iron gall ink underdrawings, allowing to harness the formerly invisible underdrawing lines for interdisciplinary studies.

Ion Beam Analysis and 14C Accelerator Mass Spectroscopy to Identify Ancient and Recent Art Forgeries

Forgeries exist in many fields. Money, goods, and works of art have been imitated for centuries to deceive and make a profit. In the field of Cultural Heritage, nuclear techniques can be used to study art forgeries. Ion beam analysis (IBA), as well as 14C accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS), are now established techniques, and the purpose of this paper is to report on their capacity to provide information on ancient, as well as modern, forgeries. Two case studies are presented: the production of silver counterfeit coins in the 16th century and the detection of recent forgeries of 20th century paintings. For the counterfeit coins, two silvering processes were identified by IBA: mercury silvering (also called amalgam silvering or fire silvering) and pure silver plating. The discovery of 14 mercury silvered coins is an important finding since there are very few known examples from before the 17th century. In the detection of recent forgeries, among the five paintings examined, 14C dating showed that three of them are definitely fakes, one is most likely a fake, and one remains undetermined. These results were obtained by using the bomb peak calibration curve to date canvas and paint samples.

A multi-analytical study of the palette of impressionist and post-impressionist Puerto Rican artists

This paper presents the pigment characterization in six impressionist and post-impressionist paintings by three leading Puerto Rican artists: Francisco Oller (1833–1917), José Cuchí y Arnau (1857–1925), and Ramón Frade (1875–1954). The paintings, belonging to the Corporación de las Artes Musicales and Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico (San Juan, Puerto Rico), were investigated through a combination of complementary non- and micro-invasive scientific techniques. The use of non-invasive macro-X-ray fluorescence (MA-XRF) and reflectance imaging spectroscopy (RIS) was applied for the first time to characterize Puerto Rican artists’ palette. The non-invasive approach was integrated with spectroscopic techniques such as Raman and/or Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, as well as high pressure liquid chromatography coupled to diode array detector and tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD-MS/MS), when sampling was possible. While this technical investigation reveals pigments that are typical for late 19th/early twentieth century paintings, it also emphasizes some unexpected findings, including the use of cobalt green and synthetic yellow lakes, which enabled the date given to some of the paintings to be refined to post 1910 rather than their current dates of ca. 1890. This study confirms that the Puerto Rican artist’s palettes are very similar to their European contemporaries, underscoring both their European training and their attempt to adapt these methods of painting to a new Caribbean identity emerging from the Spanish American War.