American painter Winslow Homer (1836-1910) created some of the most breathtaking and influential ... more American painter Winslow Homer (1836-1910) created some of the most breathtaking and influential watercolours in the history of the medium. This handsome volume provides a comprehensive look at Homer's technical and artistic practice as a watercolourist, and at the experiences that shaped his remarkable development. Focusing on 25 rarely seen watercolours from the Art Institute's collection, along with 75 other related watercolours, gouaches, drawings, and paintings - including many of the artist's characteristic subjects - this book proposes a new understanding of Homer's techniques as they evolved over his career.Accessibly written essays consider each of the featured works in detail, examining the relationship between monochrome drawing and watercolour and the artist's lifelong interest in new optical and colour theories. In particular, they show how his sojourn in England, where he encountered leading British marine watercolourists and the dynamic avant-garde art scene, precipitated an abrupt change in technique and subject matter upon his return home. Conservators address the fragility of these watercolours, which are prone to fading due to light exposure, and demonstrate, through pioneering research on Homer's pigments and computer-assisted imaging, how the works have changed over time. Several of Homer's greatest watercolours are digitally 'restored', providing an exhilarating glimpse of the original impact of Homer's groundbreaking colour experiments.
Abstract In recent decades a trend has emerged in the US whereby contemporary artists collaborate... more Abstract In recent decades a trend has emerged in the US whereby contemporary artists collaborate with fine art publishers to create multiple editions of works. While the conservation literature often discusses the individual act of making art and the ramifications of artistic intent, collaborative ventures have been largely overlooked. With a focus on the contemporary production of art on paper, numerous issues related to preservation and conservation in the context of creative collaboration and commercial enterprise emerge. Findings presented here derive from on-site interviews with master printers, papermakers, curators and publishers at seven US publishing houses: Universal Limited Art Editions, Tamarind Institute, Gemini GEL (Graphic Editions Limited), Landfall Press, Dieu Donné Papermill, Tandem Press and Two Palms Press.
In a two-part study, X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) and multispectral infra-red reflectogr... more In a two-part study, X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) and multispectral infra-red reflectography (MSIRR) were evaluated as metalpoint identification techniques. The compositions of metalpoints and ground layers in seven Italian drawings in The Metropolitan Museum of Art collection dating from the turn of the sixteenth century were determined using XRF. The drawings studied are attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, the Leonardo School, Filippino Lippi, Pietro Perugino, Circle of Pietro Perugino or Raphael, Circle of Domenico Ghirlandaio, and Pier Francesco Foschi. Each drawing was also analysed using MSIRR. The protocol followed for each analytical method is described. Results indicate that XRF can identify inclusions in metalpoints as well as the primary metal. MSIRR results suggest that inclusions affect the nature of the base metal to absorb infra-red light. The inclusions detected reflect contemporary metallurgical practices. The possibility and implications of considering stylus composition as an aid to attribution are mentioned.
Heralded among America's master watercolorists, Winslow Homer (1836–1910) explored a wide ran... more Heralded among America's master watercolorists, Winslow Homer (1836–1910) explored a wide range of themes, styles and techniques in the approximately 685 watercolors he painted from 1873–1905. This chapter discusses 59 watercolors from the collections of The Art Institute of Chicago and the National Gallery of Art, Washington DC, which encompass Homer's three decades of watercolor painting. A comprehensive scientific study of the palette of these works—carried out mostly using non-invasive techniques—serves as the basis for an extensive interdisciplinary discussion on the importance of color, texture and transparency in the artist's oeuvre. Homer reached a pinnacle in his career with his sophisticated representations of a changing natural landscape. His artistic sensibility was married to a mastery of the watercolor technique, which is illustrated by the increasing technical complexity and sophisticated exploitation of individual pigment properties in his works. This survey provides new material for the art historians studying Homer's complex watercolor technique. It offers insight into the importance of the artist's deliberate choices of colorants and their juxtapositions in his work. A deep knowledge of the chronological evolution of the artist's materials and painting techniques also offers valuable guidance to conservators charged with preserving these prized and admired watercolors.
American painter Winslow Homer (1836-1910) created some of the most breathtaking and influential ... more American painter Winslow Homer (1836-1910) created some of the most breathtaking and influential watercolours in the history of the medium. This handsome volume provides a comprehensive look at Homer's technical and artistic practice as a watercolourist, and at the experiences that shaped his remarkable development. Focusing on 25 rarely seen watercolours from the Art Institute's collection, along with 75 other related watercolours, gouaches, drawings, and paintings - including many of the artist's characteristic subjects - this book proposes a new understanding of Homer's techniques as they evolved over his career.Accessibly written essays consider each of the featured works in detail, examining the relationship between monochrome drawing and watercolour and the artist's lifelong interest in new optical and colour theories. In particular, they show how his sojourn in England, where he encountered leading British marine watercolourists and the dynamic avant-garde art scene, precipitated an abrupt change in technique and subject matter upon his return home. Conservators address the fragility of these watercolours, which are prone to fading due to light exposure, and demonstrate, through pioneering research on Homer's pigments and computer-assisted imaging, how the works have changed over time. Several of Homer's greatest watercolours are digitally 'restored', providing an exhilarating glimpse of the original impact of Homer's groundbreaking colour experiments.
American painter Winslow Homer (1836-1910) created some of the most breathtaking and influential ... more American painter Winslow Homer (1836-1910) created some of the most breathtaking and influential watercolours in the history of the medium. This handsome volume provides a comprehensive look at Homer's technical and artistic practice as a watercolourist, and at the experiences that shaped his remarkable development. Focusing on 25 rarely seen watercolours from the Art Institute's collection, along with 75 other related watercolours, gouaches, drawings, and paintings - including many of the artist's characteristic subjects - this book proposes a new understanding of Homer's techniques as they evolved over his career.Accessibly written essays consider each of the featured works in detail, examining the relationship between monochrome drawing and watercolour and the artist's lifelong interest in new optical and colour theories. In particular, they show how his sojourn in England, where he encountered leading British marine watercolourists and the dynamic avant-garde art scene, precipitated an abrupt change in technique and subject matter upon his return home. Conservators address the fragility of these watercolours, which are prone to fading due to light exposure, and demonstrate, through pioneering research on Homer's pigments and computer-assisted imaging, how the works have changed over time. Several of Homer's greatest watercolours are digitally 'restored', providing an exhilarating glimpse of the original impact of Homer's groundbreaking colour experiments.
Abstract In recent decades a trend has emerged in the US whereby contemporary artists collaborate... more Abstract In recent decades a trend has emerged in the US whereby contemporary artists collaborate with fine art publishers to create multiple editions of works. While the conservation literature often discusses the individual act of making art and the ramifications of artistic intent, collaborative ventures have been largely overlooked. With a focus on the contemporary production of art on paper, numerous issues related to preservation and conservation in the context of creative collaboration and commercial enterprise emerge. Findings presented here derive from on-site interviews with master printers, papermakers, curators and publishers at seven US publishing houses: Universal Limited Art Editions, Tamarind Institute, Gemini GEL (Graphic Editions Limited), Landfall Press, Dieu Donné Papermill, Tandem Press and Two Palms Press.
In a two-part study, X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) and multispectral infra-red reflectogr... more In a two-part study, X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) and multispectral infra-red reflectography (MSIRR) were evaluated as metalpoint identification techniques. The compositions of metalpoints and ground layers in seven Italian drawings in The Metropolitan Museum of Art collection dating from the turn of the sixteenth century were determined using XRF. The drawings studied are attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, the Leonardo School, Filippino Lippi, Pietro Perugino, Circle of Pietro Perugino or Raphael, Circle of Domenico Ghirlandaio, and Pier Francesco Foschi. Each drawing was also analysed using MSIRR. The protocol followed for each analytical method is described. Results indicate that XRF can identify inclusions in metalpoints as well as the primary metal. MSIRR results suggest that inclusions affect the nature of the base metal to absorb infra-red light. The inclusions detected reflect contemporary metallurgical practices. The possibility and implications of considering stylus composition as an aid to attribution are mentioned.
Heralded among America's master watercolorists, Winslow Homer (1836–1910) explored a wide ran... more Heralded among America's master watercolorists, Winslow Homer (1836–1910) explored a wide range of themes, styles and techniques in the approximately 685 watercolors he painted from 1873–1905. This chapter discusses 59 watercolors from the collections of The Art Institute of Chicago and the National Gallery of Art, Washington DC, which encompass Homer's three decades of watercolor painting. A comprehensive scientific study of the palette of these works—carried out mostly using non-invasive techniques—serves as the basis for an extensive interdisciplinary discussion on the importance of color, texture and transparency in the artist's oeuvre. Homer reached a pinnacle in his career with his sophisticated representations of a changing natural landscape. His artistic sensibility was married to a mastery of the watercolor technique, which is illustrated by the increasing technical complexity and sophisticated exploitation of individual pigment properties in his works. This survey provides new material for the art historians studying Homer's complex watercolor technique. It offers insight into the importance of the artist's deliberate choices of colorants and their juxtapositions in his work. A deep knowledge of the chronological evolution of the artist's materials and painting techniques also offers valuable guidance to conservators charged with preserving these prized and admired watercolors.
American painter Winslow Homer (1836-1910) created some of the most breathtaking and influential ... more American painter Winslow Homer (1836-1910) created some of the most breathtaking and influential watercolours in the history of the medium. This handsome volume provides a comprehensive look at Homer's technical and artistic practice as a watercolourist, and at the experiences that shaped his remarkable development. Focusing on 25 rarely seen watercolours from the Art Institute's collection, along with 75 other related watercolours, gouaches, drawings, and paintings - including many of the artist's characteristic subjects - this book proposes a new understanding of Homer's techniques as they evolved over his career.Accessibly written essays consider each of the featured works in detail, examining the relationship between monochrome drawing and watercolour and the artist's lifelong interest in new optical and colour theories. In particular, they show how his sojourn in England, where he encountered leading British marine watercolourists and the dynamic avant-garde art scene, precipitated an abrupt change in technique and subject matter upon his return home. Conservators address the fragility of these watercolours, which are prone to fading due to light exposure, and demonstrate, through pioneering research on Homer's pigments and computer-assisted imaging, how the works have changed over time. Several of Homer's greatest watercolours are digitally 'restored', providing an exhilarating glimpse of the original impact of Homer's groundbreaking colour experiments.
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