For the past three decades, art historians have questioned the authenticity of two Vermeer paintings in museum collections. National Gallery of Art in Washington. They were the only completed paintings on wooden panels among his authenticated works.
So while museums are shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic, curators, conservators and scientists are using powerful new technology to look beneath paintings and see whose hands are responsible. I tried to pinpoint it exactly.
On Saturday, the group will release its findings and officially change the attribution “Girl with a flute”.
Vermeer anymore.
Microscopic analysis of pigments and advanced imaging techniques have revealed an unusual approach to layering pigments within a painting. Anyone who imitated the 17th-century Dutch artist left an image with a rough finish, unlike the smooth surface that made Vermeer stand out as one of history’s greatest painters. It’s gone.
Kathryn A. Dooley, an imaging scientist at the National Gallery who worked on the project, said:
The museum’s collection includes four Vermeers, all of whom have been highly technically researched. incontrovertible the work. “Girl with a red hat” It was considered authentic, as “Girl with a Flute” was painted on a wooden panel.they are all featured in National Gallery’s New Exhibition “Vermeer’s Secrets” together with the two of us Are known fake From the 20th century in the museum’s collection.
With only about 30 Vermeer paintings extant, changing the attribution of even one could have a significant impact on academic research and cultural programs built around the artist.
Marjorie E. Wiseman, director of the National Gallery’s Nordic Painting Department, worked with her research team to develop a possible explanation for who painted “Girl with a Flute.”
She thought that mystery painters most likely fell into one of the following categories: Be it a Vermeer apprentice, a family member, a tuition-paid amateur, or a freelance artist hired for a project. However, none of the surviving documents mention Vermeer’s atelier assistants or pupils enrolled in the local guild.
“There are a lot of things we don’t know,” said Wieseman. “We don’t know who created it and under what circumstances.”
Recent technological advances have provided museums with new tools to unearth hidden details in centuries-old paintings. Last year, Germany’s Dresden State Art Collection completed a restoration of Vermeer’s Girl Reading a Letter in an Open Window, revealing an image of Cupid that may have been painted over by another artist.
According to Mr. Wiesemann, this technique was modeled by a person who knew the secret of Vermeer’s technique, which could not be known just by looking at the surface of the completed painting. It is said that it became possible to understand by
“With these latest developments in imaging modalities, the sky is the limit,” she said.
Vermeer expert Arthur K. Wheelock Jr., former director of the National Gallery’s Nordic painting department, believes that Girl with a Flute is in charge of two people. , explains that a prominent artist may have sketched a painting in front of someone. Everything else is finished. “I have struggled with this painting forever,” he said, adding that the painting had recently been attributed to Vermeer’s circle, much like the work in the National Gallery. 1995 Artist Exhibition.
Among historians, Vermeer’s eldest daughter Maria became his secret disciple After his death, he completed several paintings, including this one.
“I’m not surprised that the museum is changing the attribution, but I’m not sure I fully agree,” he said. Recent books about Dutch artists“I still think it’s more likely that Vermeer started it.”
A National Gallery survey provided further insight. According to Georgievska-Shine, The Girl with the Red Hat’s awkward brushwork may support the common belief that it was painted by Vermeer. using a camera obscura Projecting the image onto the work surface required a quick sketch of the scene before the light faded. However, museum researchers said the handwriting contained no evidence of a pinhole link to his camera, the camera obscura.
Despite her lowered status, “Girl with a Flute” is set to travel to the Rijksmuseum next year. The largest exhibition of Vermeer’s workThe National Gallery has no plans to remove the artwork from view.
“It’s not a bad picture,” Wieseman said, explaining that it could serve as a strong reminder that museum research is constantly changing our perceptions of the past. “The artists had people working with them who emulated them every step of the way.”