Jan Davidsz. de Heem (1606–1684): a technical examination of fruit and flower still lifes combining MA-XRF scanning, cross-section analysis and technical historical sources
Autor: | Arie Wallert, Annelies van Loon, Geert Van der Snickt, Koen Janssens, Nouchka de Keyser, Stijn Legrand |
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Jazyk: | angličtina |
Rok vydání: | 2017 |
Předmět: |
Archeology
Materials science lcsh:Fine Arts Still life lcsh:Analytical chemistry 02 engineering and technology Conservation 01 natural sciences Contemporary art Visual arts Still life painting Jan Davidsz. De Heem Technical historical sources Paint cross-section Light microscopy Painting lcsh:QD71-142 010401 analytical chemistry 021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology Combined approach 0104 chemical sciences General practice Macroscopic X-ray fluorescence (MA-XRF) imaging Cross section analysis lcsh:N 0210 nano-technology Art |
Zdroj: | Heritage Science, Vol 5, Iss 1, Pp 1-13 (2017) Heritage science |
ISSN: | 2050-7445 |
Popis: | This article discusses the technical examination of five flower and fruit still life paintings by the seventeenth century artist Jan Davidsz. de Heem (1606-1684). The painter is known for his meticulously composed and finely detailed still life paintings and is a master in imitating the surface textures of various fruits, flowers, and objects. Macro X-ray fluorescence (MA-XRF) scanning experiments were supplemented with a study of paint cross-sections and contemporary art technical sources with the aim of reconstructing the complex build-up of the overall lay-in of the composition and individual subjects. MA-XRF provided information on the distribution of key chemical elements present in painting materials and made it possible to recapture evidence of the different phases in the artist's working methods: from the application of the ground layers, to De Heem's characteristic oval-shaped underpaintings, and finally, the superposition of multiple paint layers in the working up of the paintings. SEM-EDX analysis of a limited number of paint cross-sections complemented the chemical images with local and layer-specific information on the microscale, providing more accuracy on the layer sequence and enabling the study of elements with a low atomic number for which the non-invasive technique is less sensitive. The results from this technical examination were in addition compared with recipes and paint instructions, to obtain a better understanding of the relation between the general practice and actual painting technique of Jan Davidsz. de Heem. Ultimately, this combined approach uncovered new information on De Heem's artistic practice and demonstrated the complementarity of the methods. |
Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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