Pic tur e Meet ing , Ins t it uut Co l l e c t ie Neder l and ~ Ams t e r dam, 9 Jul y 2 0 0 9

The Master of the Fogg Pietà Pilot Project

Austin Nevin, Aviva Burnstock,Caroline Campbell & Joanna Cannon Courtauld Institute of Art

Pic tur e Meet ing , Ins t it uut Co l l e c t ie Neder l and ~ Ams t e r dam, 9 Jul y 2 0 0 9

An online research tool

Pic tur e Meet ing , Ins t it uut Co l l e c t ie Neder l and ~ Ams t e r dam, 9 Jul y 2 0 0 9

www.mfpmfp.org

Master of the Fogg Pieta ~ Maestro di Figline Project

Pic tur e Meet ing , Ins t it uut Co l l e c t ie Neder l and ~ Ams t e r dam, 9 Jul y 2 0 0 9

Aims & Goals

• Create a model for international collaborative research

• Initiation of new technical research and engaging partners

• Create a dynamic online archive• Collaborative work space• Gather and share research materials and add

new material • Include participants from scholarly and

education communities

Pic tur e Meet ing , Ins t it uut Co l l e c t ie Neder l and ~ Ams t e r dam, 9 Jul y 2 0 0 9

Technical and Historical Research

Pic tur e Meet ing , Ins t it uut Co l l e c t ie Neder l and ~ Ams t e r dam, 9 Jul y 2 0 0 9

God the Father,, Avignon

S Lucy & S Paul, ‘s Heerenberg

S John the Baptist, Parma

S Lawrence, London Bishop Saint, London

S Francis Worcester

Fogg Pietà, Harvard

S Phillip, Worcester

Pic tur e Meet ing , Ins t it uut Co l l e c t ie Neder l and ~ Ams t e r dam, 9 Jul y 2 0 0 9

Original Sale Catalogue

Rome panels

Pic tur e Meet ing , Ins t it uut Co l l e c t ie Neder l and ~ Ams t e r dam, 9 Jul y 2 0 0 9

Other possible associated panels (from Offner)

Pic tur e Meet ing , Ins t it uut Co l l e c t ie Neder l and ~ Ams t e r dam, 9 Jul y 2 0 0 9

The Courtauld Gallery

Pic tur e Meet ing , Ins t it uut Co l l e c t ie Neder l and ~ Ams t e r dam, 9 Jul y 2 0 0 9

Worcester Art Museum

Pic tur e Meet ing , Ins t it uut Co l l e c t ie Neder l and ~ Ams t e r dam, 9 Jul y 2 0 0 9

The Fogg Pietà, Harvard Art Museums

Pic tur e Meet ing , Ins t it uut Co l l e c t ie Neder l and ~ Ams t e r dam, 9 Jul y 2 0 0 9

Jan Herman Van Heek Collection

Pic tur e Meet ing , Ins t it uut Co l l e c t ie Neder l and ~ Ams t e r dam, 9 Jul y 2 0 0 9

God the Father, Musée du Petit Palais, Avignon

Pic tur e Meet ing , Ins t it uut Co l l e c t ie Neder l and ~ Ams t e r dam, 9 Jul y 2 0 0 9

Saint John the Baptist, Fondazione Magnani Rocca, Parma

Pic tur e Meet ing , Ins t it uut Co l l e c t ie Neder l and ~ Ams t e r dam, 9 Jul y 2 0 0 9

Making disparate research materials available on line

Pic tur e Meet ing , Ins t it uut Co l l e c t ie Neder l and ~ Ams t e r dam, 9 Jul y 2 0 0 9

Santa Croce Crucifix & Figline Maestà

Pic tur e Meet ing , Ins t it uut Co l l e c t ie Neder l and ~ Ams t e r dam, 9 Jul y 2 0 0 9

Consultation and exchange with project participants Meeting at the Courtauld

September 15th 2009•best practices for the sharing of technical information•discuss methods of collaborative research •plan methods for further interpreting and disseminating

conservation information

Pic tur e Meet ing , Ins t it uut Co l l e c t ie Neder l and ~ Ams t e r dam, 9 Jul y 2 0 0 9

Our approach

Adapt standard components12 open-source packages, each is (in our opinion) the best available in its class

Minimise software developmentDevelopment work on IIPImage to allow panning, browsing and overlayingNew plugins have been released under an open-source license

Our own serverMac Mini running Ubuntu Server, connected to a large hard disc and a fast internet connection, regularly backed up

Pic tur e Meet ing , Ins t it uut Co l l e c t ie Neder l and ~ Ams t e r dam, 9 Jul y 2 0 0 9

Benefits

Rapid developmentSimple assembly of standard components

low maintenance costs

Cheap, prototype driven design

We are currently on prototype 6. The next version will be the launch design and will be online at www.mfpmfp.org

Several more revisions will be carried out during the project – these will be motivated by end-user feedback throughout the duration of the project

Easy to shareAll parts of the system are free and open;

technical documentation on the site freely available

Pic tur e Meet ing , Ins t it uut Co l l e c t ie Neder l and ~ Ams t e r dam, 9 Jul y 2 0 0 9

XRF analysis pigment identification

Pic tur e Meet ing , Ins t it uut Co l l e c t ie Neder l and ~ Ams t e r dam, 9 Jul y 2 0 0 9

Scans of curatorial files

Pic tur e Meet ing , Ins t it uut Co l l e c t ie Neder l and ~ Ams t e r dam, 9 Jul y 2 0 0 9

Conservation records

Pic tur e Meet ing , Ins t it uut Co l l e c t ie Neder l and ~ Ams t e r dam, 9 Jul y 2 0 0 9

Online comparison of punch-work

Pic tur e Meet ing , Ins t it uut Co l l e c t ie Neder l and ~ Ams t e r dam, 9 Jul y 2 0 0 9

Scholarly discourse

• Exchange between users has been initiated to discuss central art historical questions

• Example: interpretation of the scroll which Saint Francis Holds

Pic tur e Meet ing , Ins t it uut Co l l e c t ie Neder l and ~ Ams t e r dam, 9 Jul y 2 0 0 9

Online discussion and exchange

Are the borders on St. Philip’s garment executed in Sgraffito?

.. Philip’s garments are paint over water gilding

The water-gilded punched borders and use of pigment over water gilding... are the key issues

Pic tur e Meet ing , Ins t it uut Co l l e c t ie Neder l and ~ Ams t e r dam, 9 Jul y 2 0 0 9

Ego e ni(m)S tigmatadomini nos tri yh(e s)uxpi in corpore meo porto g ratia d(omi)nin(os t)ri yh(e s )u xp(i)cum spiritu v e s tro Galatians 6: 17-18

Pic tur e Meet ing , Ins t it uut Co l l e c t ie Neder l and ~ Ams t e r dam, 9 Jul y 2 0 0 9

• The carefully arranged positioning of each finger, and bend in the scroll, reveal the upper half of the words Saint Francis has just finished reading out: ‘cum spiritu vestro’.

• Franciscans seeing this would know that Francis would now be saying, inviting their active participation:

‘ . ’fratres Amen

Pic tur e Meet ing , Ins t it uut Co l l e c t ie Neder l and ~ Ams t e r dam, 9 Jul y 2 0 0 9

• First two lines at the top of the scroll were initially ruled, allowing for a full-height line of text in each row

• Ruling was then painted out and repositioned, leaving space for the carefully-executed, half-obscured line of text

Pic tur e Meet ing , Ins t it uut Co l l e c t ie Neder l and ~ Ams t e r dam, 9 Jul y 2 0 0 9

• Onl y pane l in the ens embl e w ith the o r ig inal eng ag ed f r ame• Wo o d g r ain is c l ear l y vis ibl e and matc hes that o f t he Fo g g Piet à• Cl o s er examinat io n hig hl ig ht s s imil ar it ie s in t ec hniq ue w ith Wo r c es t er pane l s

High resolution X-rays

Pic tur e Meet ing , Ins t it uut Co l l e c t ie Neder l and ~ Ams t e r dam, 9 Jul y 2 0 0 9

High resolution X-rays

Pic tur e Meet ing , Ins t it uut Co l l e c t ie Neder l and ~ Ams t e r dam, 9 Jul y 2 0 0 9

Rig tag liare – lead white

the borde r be tween figure and gold background is marked by a broad contour of le ad white in glue following gilding and prior to painting the figure (Cennini)

Pic tur e Meet ing , Ins t it uut Co l l e c t ie Neder l and ~ Ams t e r dam, 9 Jul y 2 0 0 9

Losses prior to reintegration - 1987

Pic tur e Meet ing , Ins t it uut Co l l e c t ie Neder l and ~ Ams t e r dam, 9 Jul y 2 0 0 9

Ritag liare

• RItag liare is indeed one of the areas most likely to be lost as can be seen in this X radiograph

• Characteristic use of free hand incisions around the edges of figures

Pic tur e Meet ing , Ins t it uut Co l l e c t ie Neder l and ~ Ams t e r dam, 9 Jul y 2 0 0 9

Ritagliare around the figures of Lucy and Paul, use of lead white for highlights, presence of cloth, wormholes and nails

Pic tur e Meet ing , Ins t it uut Co l l e c t ie Neder l and ~ Ams t e r dam, 9 Jul y 2 0 0 9

• It has been suggested that the panels can be dated to ca. 1340,• The technique of freehand incised patterns, reserved against a

granulated background, and the repertoire of geometrical shapes, may point to the influence of Lippo Memmi and Simone Martini, in their work from ca. 1320.

Pic tur e Meet ing , Ins t it uut Co l l e c t ie Neder l and ~ Ams t e r dam, 9 Jul y 2 0 0 9

. . . by inte grating s ty lis tic and te chnical analys is and apply ing combine d discipline s toward solv ing difficult Tre ce nto proble ms we can anticipate ne w and important discove rie s in the ye ars ahe ad.” N. E. Muller.

www.mfpmfp.org

Pic tur e Meet ing , Ins t it uut Co l l e c t ie Neder l and ~ Ams t e r dam, 9 Jul y 2 0 0 9

Future and wider impact

While the pilot project has focussed on a small ensemble of paintings by an anonymous Master, the tools developed could and will be extended to focus on scholarly projects in the future

• Bernardo Daddi • Paul Cézanne

Pic tur e Meet ing , Ins t it uut Co l l e c t ie Neder l and ~ Ams t e r dam, 9 Jul y 2 0 0 9

Bernardo Daddi, Florence 1338Courtauld Gallery

Lindenau Museum Altenberg

Nelson Atkins Museum, Kansas

Address questions of quality and production, develop further the applications of the research tool and foster new research

Pic tur e Meet ing , Ins t it uut Co l l e c t ie Neder l and ~ Ams t e r dam, 9 Jul y 2 0 0 9

A closer look:

Has Daddi, a supreme practitioner, left any signs of planning? Did he employ any mechanical methods to facilitate repetition in his own work or in that executed by his assistants?

Pic tur e Meet ing , Ins t it uut Co l l e c t ie Neder l and ~ Ams t e r dam, 9 Jul y 2 0 0 9

A great leap forward: Paul Cézanne

• Investigate the relationship between his drawing and painting technique

Pic tur e Meet ing , Ins t it uut Co l l e c t ie Neder l and ~ Ams t e r dam, 9 Jul y 2 0 0 9

Austin Nevin, Coordinator & Mellon Fellow, Aviva Burnstock, Joanna Cannon, Caroline Campbell, Clare Richardson, (The Courtauld Institute of Art)

John Cupitt (external consultant)Lauren Cox, Teri Hensick, Narayan Khandakhar, Henry Lie, Katherine Olivier,

Stephan Wolohojian (Harvard Art Museums)Rita Albertson, Philip Klausmeyer, Winifred Murray, Birgit Strähle (Worcester Art

Museum)Luc Megens, Klaas Jan Van den Berg, (Instituut Collectie Nederland)Roberto Bellucci, Ciro Castelli, Cecilia Frosinini (Opificio delle Pietre Dure)Stefano Roffi (Fondazione Magnani Rocca)Dominique Vigntain (Musée du Petit Palais)

Support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

is gratefully acknowledged

Pic tur e Meet ing , Ins t it uut Co l l e c t ie Neder l and ~ Ams t e r dam, 9 Jul y 2 0 0 9

Consultation and exchange with project participants Meeting at the Courtauld

September 15th 2009•best practices for the sharing of technical information•discuss methods of collaborative research •plan methods for further interpreting and disseminating

conservation information austin.nevin@ courtauld.ac.uk