Records |
Author |
Derks, K.; van der Snickt, G.; Legrand, S.; van der Stighelen, K.; Janssens, K. |
Title |
The dark halo technique in the oeuvre of Michael Sweerts and other Flemish and Dutch baroque painters. A 17th c. empirical solution to mitigate the optical 'simultaneous contrast' effect? |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
Year |
2022 |
Publication |
Heritage science |
Abbreviated Journal |
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Volume |
10 |
Issue |
1 |
Pages |
5 |
Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Art; Antwerp Cultural Heritage Sciences (ARCHES); Antwerp X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy (AXIS) |
Abstract |
Although the topic is rarely addressed in literature, a significant number of baroque paintings exhibit dark, halo-like shapes around the contours of the dramatis personae. Close examination of both finished and unfinished works suggests that this intriguing feature was a practical tool that helped the artist in the early painting stages. When applying the final brushwork, the halo lost its function, with some artists undertaking efforts to hide it. Although their visibility might not have been intended by the artists, today this dark paint beneath the surface is partially visible through the upper paint layers. Moreover, the disclosure of many halos using infrared photography (IRP), infrared reflectography (IRR) and macro X-ray fluorescence imaging (MA-XRF), additional to those that can be observed visually, suggests that this was a common and established element of 17th-century painting practice in Western Europe. Building on an existing hypothesis, we argue that halos can be considered as a solution to an optical problem that arose when baroque painters reversed the traditional, 15th- and 16th-century painting sequence of working from background to foreground. Instead, they started with the dominant parts of a composition, such as the face of a sitter. In that case, a temporary halo can provide the essential tonal reference to anticipate the chromatic impact of the final dark colored background on the adjacent delicate carnations. In particular, we attempt to clarify the prevalence of dark halos as a response to optical effects such as 'simultaneous contrast' and 'the crispening effect', described in literature only centuries later. As such, the recently termed 'ring condition' can be seen as the present-day equivalent of the 'halo solution' that was seemingly empirically or intuitively developed by 17th-century artists. Modern studies in visual perception proves that by laying a black ring around a target color, the optical impact of a surrounding color can be efficiently neutralized. Finally, by delving into works by Michael Sweerts, it becomes clear that resourceful artists might have adapted the halo technique and the underlying principles to their individual challenges, such as dealing with differently colored grounds. |
Address |
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Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Language |
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Wos |
000739965700001 |
Publication Date |
2022-01-07 |
Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
2050-7445 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
Impact Factor |
2.5 |
Times cited |
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Open Access |
OpenAccess |
Notes |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: 2.5 |
Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:185458 |
Serial ![sorted by Serial field, ascending order (up)](img/sort_asc.gif) |
7217 |
Permanent link to this record |
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Author |
Derks, K. |
Title |
Scanning Michael Sweerts and Michaelina Wautier : uncovering the working methods of 17th-century Brussels artists by means of MA-XRF examination |
Type |
Doctoral thesis |
Year |
2023 |
Publication |
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Abbreviated Journal |
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Volume |
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Issue |
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Pages |
634 p. |
Keywords |
Doctoral thesis; Art; Antwerp Cultural Heritage Sciences (ARCHES); Antwerp X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy (AXIS) |
Abstract |
This dissertation focuses on the materials and techniques used by the Brussels artists Michael Sweerts (1618-1664) and Michaelina Wautier (1614-1689). It tries to answer the following research questions: 1.Did 17th-century Brussels-based artists use idiosyncratic painting materials and techniques, and can their work be distinguished from paintings created in other artistic centers based on these materials and techniques? 2.How did Sweerts and Wautier influence each other’s work? In order to answer the research questions, a selection of relevant and representative paintings from Sweerts’ and Wautier’s oeuvre has been studied with MA-XRF scanning and microscopic examination. The results are discussed in volume 2 of this dissertation, and form the basis upon which the chapters in volume 1 are built. MA-XRF scanning is a non-destructive imaging technique based on the technique of X-ray fluorescence (XRF). The technique allows for the collection of elemental information about the materials present in a work of art. The work presented in this dissertation has shed more light on the working methods of Sweerts and Wautier. It has shown they both showed an openness and willingness to continue learning and developing as an artist. Wautier did not feel constrained to work only in one genre and apparently carried on developing her skills throughout her career, as evidenced by Flower Garland with Butterfly. She might have trained with a specialized artist to master their idiosyncratic working methods and this diverse genre. This suggests that Wautier had an interest in art education. Sweerts too had a passion for art education: he was involved in the drawing academy of Camillo Pamphilj in Rome, and later established his own academy for life drawing in Brussels. Sweerts’ work clearly shows the influence of his Italian contemporaries. Whilst living in Rome, he adapted his working methods to local customs such as working on brightly colored grounds. Wautier’s oeuvre shows that she was open to explore different genres and that she took inspiration from her contemporaries, including Theodoor van Loon and Daniël Seghers. In doing so, she furthered the development of different genres as she added original elements to her compositions. It is the conclusion of this dissertation that Michaelina Wautier can thus be considered one of the innovative artists of mid-17th-century Flemish painting, who inspired other artists in the Low Countries, including Michael Sweerts. |
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Wos |
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Publication Date |
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Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
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ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record |
Impact Factor |
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Times cited |
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Open Access |
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Notes |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: NA |
Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:197182 |
Serial ![sorted by Serial field, ascending order (up)](img/sort_asc.gif) |
8927 |
Permanent link to this record |
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Author |
Derks, K.; Youchaeva, M.; Van der Snickt, G.; Van der Stighelen, K.; Janssens, K. |
Title |
Reconstructing Sweerts : practical insights into the historical dark halo technique based on paint reconstructions |
Type |
P1 Proceeding |
Year |
2024 |
Publication |
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Abbreviated Journal |
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Volume |
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Issue |
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Pages |
259-271
T2 - Alla maniera : technical art history |
Keywords |
P1 Proceeding; Engineering sciences. Technology; Art; Antwerp Cultural Heritage Sciences (ARCHES); Antwerp X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy (AXIS) |
Abstract |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
978-90-429-5216-4 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record |
Impact Factor |
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Times cited |
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Open Access |
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Notes |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: NA |
Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:203062 |
Serial ![sorted by Serial field, ascending order (up)](img/sort_asc.gif) |
9082 |
Permanent link to this record |