Historical Painting Techniques, Materials, and Studio Practice

Abstract
Methods of art historical research,
painting expertise, and scientific research
can contribute to the detailed
study of painting techniques. Conversely,
the knowledge of painting
techniques could support art historical
research. The need for collaboration
between individual disciplines
during all stages of research is
strongly stressed, from the initial formulation
of working questions and
hypotheses to final conclusions about
the techniques of an artist.
An Integrated Approach for the Study
of Painting Techniques
Sylvana Barrett and Dusan C. Stulik*
The Getty Conservation Institute
4503 Glencoe Avenue
Marina del Rey, California 90292
USA
Introduction
The study of artists' techniques in general and the study of an individual
artist's techniques in particular are important for several reasons:
(a) Art historians can use detailed knowledge of an artist's technique and its
developmental evolution throughout the artist's career in the authentication
process. This information can also aid in the establishment of a proper chronology
for the known works of a given artist.
(b) Artists of various historical periods were able to achieve specific visual
effects by the use of special artists' materials or by methodical application of
proven painting techniques. Because detailed documentation is seldom available
today to help artists learn the steps needed to re-create a given visual
effect, artists must rely on the results of systematic art research to learn old
master techniques.
(c) Museum conservators, in order to ensure a safe working strategy when
planning a conservation or restoration treatment, rely on specific information
about pigments, binding media, and materials, including those of earlier restorations,
as well as detailed knowledge of the structural arrangements of these
materials.
The art historian and art research
The role of the art historian in the realm of art research is critical. It is the
art historian who must set the foundation, into which the information gathered
by individual researchers of a painting-technique research team is organized,
for final interpretation. In the study of painting techniques, two tools
used by art historians are very important: connoisseurship and archival research.
Connoisseurship. Beyond establishment of individual and historical chronologies,
connoisseurship itself-the expert knowledge of style and technique that
the art historian develops through the course of a career-is of immense help
in the research of artists' techniques. This keen sense of discrimination can
be used to identify idiosyncrasies particular to a given artist's work. When
drawn from works of undisputed provenance, the art historian can use the
idiosyncrasies to establish a signature of style, materials, and techniques for
any given artist. This "signature style" is critical for researchers in all the
related disciplines. The signature style for a particular artist establishes the
standard of measure against which all data can be judged.
Archival research. The study of primary documents-such as municipal, guild,
or financial records and chronicles in which artists' names can be directly
located-provides crucial information about artists' lives, training, professional
and social standing, and other socio-economic factors that influenced the
development of their working methods and personal painting styles. When
an artist's notes, letters, books, diaries, and travel journals are available, the
study of these materials often provides important information leading to
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
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Historical Painting Techniques, Materials, and Studio Practice