In the Cathedral of Utrecht, a well-preserved mural still decorates the burial chapel of Guy of A... more In the Cathedral of Utrecht, a well-preserved mural still decorates the burial chapel of Guy of Avesnes, Bishop of Utrecht between 1301 and 1317. It was discovered in 1919, when a brick wall was removed from what turned out to be a painted niche. The mural, which depicts a Calvary, covers the rear wall of this niche, which is located in the chapel’s eastside wall. Its figures are of an outstanding quality; other murals like this have not survived in the Northern Netherlands. What is even more exceptional is the fact that on the back wall of the niche not one but two paintings can be found, the one currently visible covering an older mural. This older mural was probably placed there as part of the furnishings when the chapel became a burial chapel for the aforementioned bishop in around 1320. This mural was painted over in around 1410. The unique situation of a well-preserved fifteenth-century mural covering a fourteenth-century one calls for technical research that renders both mura...
AbstractPapyrus has been one of the most important materials in history. Since the eleventh centu... more AbstractPapyrus has been one of the most important materials in history. Since the eleventh century the secrets of its manufacture have been lost. No unambiguous primary text discussing the making of papyrus is known to exist. Recent experiments have resulted in two different reconstructions of the process of papyrus manufacture. Study with light microscopy and SEM was conducted in order to investigate these methods. Characteristic features of papyrus of different manufacture are described. The study revealed the possibility of distinguishing between the two proposed reconstructions in the examination of extant papyri.
'Artists' knowledge' can be considered as 'the specialist knowledge artists used ... more 'Artists' knowledge' can be considered as 'the specialist knowledge artists used to make their art'. This paper argues that in the Middle Ages there was a two-way exchange of knowledge between atelier and academy. Material from encyclopedias became incorporated in technical literatura, while technical texts were extracted and adapted for encyclopedis purposes. Craft knowledge was absorbed by 'natural philosophers', as technical treatises entered the library as works of general intelectual interest. It can thus be difficult to establish whether a given art technological source text was used or was intended for use within an atelier, or was in fact a para-literary production. Examples are presented of art technical sources embedded within more encyclopedic works. Rarer are examples of texts of non-artisanal intent that are incorporated into craft text. In each case, texts exhibit characteristic reworking to suit the new readership. Vitruvius' "De architectura", the "Schedula diversarum artium", the "De proprietatibus rerum", the Avranches manuscript, and part of the Heraclius treatise provide good examples of this peculiar relationship between craft treatise and encyclopedia. The relationship between craft treatise and encyclopedia is neither clear nor one-directional -there is often a difference between the intention of the original text and its eventual use.
ABSTRACT James McNeill Whistler was meticulous in his choice and use of oil painting materials. T... more ABSTRACT James McNeill Whistler was meticulous in his choice and use of oil painting materials. The late 1870s and early 1880s seem to introduce a period of experimentation, characterised by strongly diluted paints in the full-length portraits of that period, and resulting in a richer language in paint handling in Whistler's later works. Through scientific analyses combined with art-historical research, as well as material from the Whistler correspondence, this paper addresses the process of experimentation as well as the visual impact of Whistler's exploitation of the increased fluidity and transparency of his oil paints, and of his choice of unusual materials to enhance these effects. The research centres on Whistler's full-length portrait Arrangement in Yellow and Grey: Effie Deans (Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam) as a key case study.
The painting 'Two fisherboys' has long caused confusion among experts. A close co... more The painting 'Two fisherboys' has long caused confusion among experts. A close comparison of the painting with a forgery by Han van Meegeren and Frans Hals's 'Fisherboy' solves the conundrum and provides valuable insights into the merits and drawbacks of modern analytical techniques.
In the Cathedral of Utrecht, a well-preserved mural still decorates the burial chapel of Guy of A... more In the Cathedral of Utrecht, a well-preserved mural still decorates the burial chapel of Guy of Avesnes, Bishop of Utrecht between 1301 and 1317. It was discovered in 1919, when a brick wall was removed from what turned out to be a painted niche. The mural, which depicts a Calvary, covers the rear wall of this niche, which is located in the chapel’s eastside wall. Its figures are of an outstanding quality; other murals like this have not survived in the Northern Netherlands. What is even more exceptional is the fact that on the back wall of the niche not one but two paintings can be found, the one currently visible covering an older mural. This older mural was probably placed there as part of the furnishings when the chapel became a burial chapel for the aforementioned bishop in around 1320. This mural was painted over in around 1410. The unique situation of a well-preserved fifteenth-century mural covering a fourteenth-century one calls for technical research that renders both mura...
AbstractPapyrus has been one of the most important materials in history. Since the eleventh centu... more AbstractPapyrus has been one of the most important materials in history. Since the eleventh century the secrets of its manufacture have been lost. No unambiguous primary text discussing the making of papyrus is known to exist. Recent experiments have resulted in two different reconstructions of the process of papyrus manufacture. Study with light microscopy and SEM was conducted in order to investigate these methods. Characteristic features of papyrus of different manufacture are described. The study revealed the possibility of distinguishing between the two proposed reconstructions in the examination of extant papyri.
'Artists' knowledge' can be considered as 'the specialist knowledge artists used ... more 'Artists' knowledge' can be considered as 'the specialist knowledge artists used to make their art'. This paper argues that in the Middle Ages there was a two-way exchange of knowledge between atelier and academy. Material from encyclopedias became incorporated in technical literatura, while technical texts were extracted and adapted for encyclopedis purposes. Craft knowledge was absorbed by 'natural philosophers', as technical treatises entered the library as works of general intelectual interest. It can thus be difficult to establish whether a given art technological source text was used or was intended for use within an atelier, or was in fact a para-literary production. Examples are presented of art technical sources embedded within more encyclopedic works. Rarer are examples of texts of non-artisanal intent that are incorporated into craft text. In each case, texts exhibit characteristic reworking to suit the new readership. Vitruvius' "De architectura", the "Schedula diversarum artium", the "De proprietatibus rerum", the Avranches manuscript, and part of the Heraclius treatise provide good examples of this peculiar relationship between craft treatise and encyclopedia. The relationship between craft treatise and encyclopedia is neither clear nor one-directional -there is often a difference between the intention of the original text and its eventual use.
ABSTRACT James McNeill Whistler was meticulous in his choice and use of oil painting materials. T... more ABSTRACT James McNeill Whistler was meticulous in his choice and use of oil painting materials. The late 1870s and early 1880s seem to introduce a period of experimentation, characterised by strongly diluted paints in the full-length portraits of that period, and resulting in a richer language in paint handling in Whistler's later works. Through scientific analyses combined with art-historical research, as well as material from the Whistler correspondence, this paper addresses the process of experimentation as well as the visual impact of Whistler's exploitation of the increased fluidity and transparency of his oil paints, and of his choice of unusual materials to enhance these effects. The research centres on Whistler's full-length portrait Arrangement in Yellow and Grey: Effie Deans (Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam) as a key case study.
The painting 'Two fisherboys' has long caused confusion among experts. A close co... more The painting 'Two fisherboys' has long caused confusion among experts. A close comparison of the painting with a forgery by Han van Meegeren and Frans Hals's 'Fisherboy' solves the conundrum and provides valuable insights into the merits and drawbacks of modern analytical techniques.
Rembrandt and his Circle, edited by Stephanie Dickey
This collection brings together art histori... more Rembrandt and his Circle, edited by Stephanie Dickey
This collection brings together art historians, museum professionals, conservators, and conservation scientists whose work involves Rembrandt van Rijn and associated artists such as Gerrit Dou, Jan Lievens, and Ferdinand Bol. The range of subjects considered is wide: from the presentation of convincing evidence that Rembrandt and his contemporary Frans Hals rubbed elbows in the Amsterdam workshop of Hendrick Uylenburgh to critical reassessments of the role of printmaking in Rembrandt's studio, his competition with Lievens as a landscape painter, his reputation as a collector, and much more. Developed from a series of international conferences devoted to charting new directions in Rembrandt research, these essays illuminate the current state of Rembrandt studies and suggest avenues for future inquiry.
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Papers by Arie Wallert
This collection brings together art historians, museum professionals, conservators, and conservation scientists whose work involves Rembrandt van Rijn and associated artists such as Gerrit Dou, Jan Lievens, and Ferdinand Bol. The range of subjects considered is wide: from the presentation of convincing evidence that Rembrandt and his contemporary Frans Hals rubbed elbows in the Amsterdam workshop of Hendrick Uylenburgh to critical reassessments of the role of printmaking in Rembrandt's studio, his competition with Lievens as a landscape painter, his reputation as a collector, and much more. Developed from a series of international conferences devoted to charting new directions in Rembrandt research, these essays illuminate the current state of Rembrandt studies and suggest avenues for future inquiry.