New book offers the ultimate overview of the treatment of Van Eyck's The Ghent Altarpiece

The First Art Newspaper on the Net    Established in 1996 Thursday, March 28, 2024


New book offers the ultimate overview of the treatment of Van Eyck's The Ghent Altarpiece
The course of the treatment of the paintings themselves is explained in detail.



BRUSSELS.- For four years, a multidisciplinary team from the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage (KIK-IRPA, Brussels) worked on the research and conservation-restoration of the exterior of the Ghent Altarpiece by the Van Eyck brothers (1432). The re-discovery of their original creation, hidden for centuries under extensive overpaints, not only led to an unexpected visual revelation. Thanks to the accompanying research, knowledge about the iconic masterpiece is now taking a giant leap. In the reference work The Ghent Altarpiece. Research and Conservation of the Exterior, published by the KIK-IRPA, the restoration team presents its recent work, while bundling the broad findings of the multidisciplinary research. Richly illustrated, it includes a unique selection of photos, scientific imaging and explanatory diagrams.

As the most striking realization, the course of the treatment of the paintings themselves is explained in detail; from varnish removal, over removal of retouches and overpaint, to consolidating the paint layer, filling in gaps and re-varnishing. Based on archival research and material-technical study, the book also reveals when, how and why this masterpiece was so broadly overpainted in the past. These additions were analyzed using the latest techniques by the laboratories of the KIK-IRPA and the universities of Antwerp and Ghent.

The authenticity of the famous quatrain and other inscriptions on the frames could also be confirmed by meticulous examination of the letters and their pictorial structure. This text is the most important source of information about the creation of the Ghent Altarpiece: started by Hubert, completed by Jan, commissioned by Joos Vijd and installed on 6 May 1432. And now that the original painting is visible and has been studied from the underdrawing to the final touch of paint, the question of the identification of the hands is raised again. What is the share of Hubert, Jan and their assistants in the execution? The conservator-restorers conclude that the underdrawings and paintings of the exterior of the wing panels were carried out by a single artist: Jan Van Eyck. Now we are looking forward to the findings on the inside of the altarpiece, the last treatment phase of which will start in 2021.

The conservation of the oak support and of the frames is often overlooked. The treatment of the wooden panels, which mainly focused on the durability of the polyptych, also provided an opportunity to thoroughly map its structure. The uncovering of the original polychromy on the frames was as startling as that of the paintings themselves, and essential to the rediscovery of the original appearance of the Ghent Altarpiece. The refined stone imitation on silver leaf with remarkable effects of light and shadow is also an extremely rare example of polychromed frames from that time. The technical study in The Ghent Altarpiece makes a crucial contribution to our knowledge of late medieval polychromy.

On the basis of the new research data, the original display of the altarpiece in the Vijd chapel was also examined. Now that the stone imitation on the frames has been uncovered, the issue of the hinges examined, and other comparative material scrutinized, it seems that the altarpiece was originally crowned by a wooden canopy. The upper and lower registers would have been adjoining, but the wing panels could be opened and closed separately. These findings are of practical importance for the display of the altarpiece in the new visitors’ centre in St Bavo's Cathedral at the end of 2020.

The book concludes with a critical look at communication during conservation restoration behind a glass wall, under the eye of the museum visitor. Do visitors clearly understand what the conservation-restoration exactly entailed? For those looking for that ultimate overview – and directly from the conservation-restoration team itself – or just want to enjoy the numerous illustrations, there is now the reference book The Ghent Altarpiece: Research and Conservation of the Exterior.

Together with this publication, the Centre for the Study of the Flemish Primitives of the KIK-IRPA offers online the complete and up-to-date bibliography of the Ghent Altarpiece: nearly a hundred pages cite all publications since Van Vaernewijck (1560) until the recent exhibition catalog of the Museum of Fine Arts, Ghent (2020). A tremendous task, since no other Flemish painting has caused so much ink to flow as the Ghent Altarpiece.










Today's News

April 5, 2020

Paintings discovered inside the coffin of a 3,000-year-old Egyptian mummy

New book offers the ultimate overview of the treatment of Van Eyck's The Ghent Altarpiece

Suellen Rocca, founding member of the Hairy Who, dies at 76

David Driskell, artist and scholar, dies at 88

Sotheby's London teams up with Margherita Missoni on this season's 'Contemporary Curated'

Hindman's Essential Jewelry auction delivers top results online

Marc Straus now represents Marie Watt

Ogunquit Museum of American Art announces new Executive Director

Save LACMA files ballot measure initiative with L.A. County Clerk's office

Michael McKinnell, 84, dies; Architect of a monumental city hall

New book presents the many facets of photographer Balthasar Burkhard

Why birds are the world's best engineers

The Rubin Museum of Art launches digital initiatives for navigating change

Parrish Art Museum launches free live-stream workshops direct from the artist's studio

Together In Art we stand: Art Gallery of New South Wales shares a daily boost of art with the world

At Margaret Atwood's prompting, Canada launches virtual book tours

Historic 1858 Proof Liberty Eagle gold coin leads Central States offerings April 23-26

Holabird Western Americana Collections' four-day Big Tent auction will be online-only

60s icon Marianne Faithfull treated for COVID-19

How Bill Withers defined soulful selflessness

Edinburgh comedy club goes online to beat lockdown

For a scientist turned novelist, an experiment pays off

Norval Foundation presents #60SecondArt: Experience culture from the comfort of your home

CCA Wattis Institute launches free online platform for artist videos, lectures, and essays

Join a musical meditation bringing together hundreds worldwide

The Benefits Of Being An Artist - Amateur And Professional

How To Protect Yourself While Painting With Oil Paint

How To Be A More Creative Artists

Tips to Make Your Contest Marketing Successful

Easy ways to know how to put ink in a Printer?




Museums, Exhibits, Artists, Milestones, Digital Art, Architecture, Photography,
Photographers, Special Photos, Special Reports, Featured Stories, Auctions, Art Fairs,
Anecdotes, Art Quiz, Education, Mythology, 3D Images, Last Week, .

 



Founder:
Ignacio Villarreal
(1941 - 2019)
Editor & Publisher: Jose Villarreal
Art Director: Juan José Sepúlveda Ramírez

Royalville Communications, Inc
produces:

ignaciovillarreal.org juncodelavega.com facundocabral-elfinal.org
Founder's Site. Hommage
to a Mexican poet.
Hommage
       

The First Art Newspaper on the Net. The Best Versions Of Ave Maria Song Junco de la Vega Site Ignacio Villarreal Site
Tell a Friend
Dear User, please complete the form below in order to recommend the Artdaily newsletter to someone you know.
Please complete all fields marked *.
Sending Mail
Sending Successful