Studying Old Master Paintings: Technology and Practice

The papers in this volume constitute a substantial body of work that provides a wide-ranging overview of current research on the technology and practice of Old Master paintings, covering some 700 years of European painting, from the thirteenth century to the early twentieth century, including works by Guido da Siena, Bellini, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Fernando Gallego, Holbein, Caravaggio, El Greco, Rubens, Murillo, Gainsborough, Reynolds, Whistler, van Gogh and Munch. Six of the contributions focus on technological or historical aspects of specific artists’ materials. These papers were presented at a conference held at the National Gallery to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the National Gallery Technical Bulletin. The Bulletin has a long history of publishing interdisciplinary research on the technical examination of paintings to inform both art-historical study and issues relating to the material history of a work. This type of research was the central focus of the conference and provided the overall thematic link between the contributions presented. Contains essays on the work of a wide range of artists, including Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Hans Holbein, Albrecht Altdofer, Caravaggio, Rubens, Thomas Gainsborough, Vincent Van Gogh, Edvard Munch, Christen Kobke, Bartolome Esteban Murillom and El Greco.