Tutor: Jacob Simon
This seminar examines the history of panel transfers to canvas in Britain. The process involved transferring the paint layer of a work, and sometimes the ground as well, by paring back the panel before applying a canvas as a new support. It was designed to deal with flaking paint and decayed panels, commonly in Italian panel paintings but also sometimes in British panel portraits and other northern paintings. A similar process was used for transfers from one canvas to another, as opposed to lining.
The history of this former practice is explored in this presentation, with some reference to technical considerations. The process came to prominence in Paris in 1750. How soon was it brought to London and how was it documented? Who were the early practitioners in the late 18th and 19th centuries? Why was the ground sometimes removed but sometimes retained? How and why was the process taken up at the National Gallery? How extensive was the practice in the trade? What led to the decline in the practice in the 20th century? The presentation will try to fill gaps in our understanding in a field which is not well documented.
Jacob Simon was previously the Chief Curator at the National Portrait Gallery and is now Research Fellow at the same institution. He was formerly editor of the Walpole Society’s journal for British art history, both voluntary positions.
For more information, please visit our website: https://academicprojects.co.uk/courses/towards-a-history-of-panel-transfers-to-canvas-in-britain-1760-1980/