Giovanni Bellini (active c. 1459; died 1516) was one of the most innovative and influential painters of the Venetian Renaissance and was among the first Italian artists to paint in oil, rather than the more traditional medium of egg tempera. This special edition of the National Gallery Technical Bulletin offers a revelatory in-depth investigation of Bellini's technique, and how it evolved over more than five decades, through an examination of the artist's works in the National Gallery's collection. With twelve focused entries on specific paintings, including masterpieces such as The Agony in the Garden and Doge Leonardo Loredan, this volume is full of new and exciting discoveries that expand our understanding of Bellini's painting practice. In addition, there is an account of the long and challenging restoration of The Assassination of Saint Peter Martyr and an introductory essay that places Bellini's technical achievements in the context of Venetian painting of the 15th century, including his early training with his father, Jacopo; his working relationship with his brother, Gentile, and brother-in-law, Andrea Mantegna; and the practices of Giovanni's own workshop. Published by National Gallery Company/Distributed by Yale University Press

A collection of studies at the cutting edge of art conservation and the scientific examination of paintings This volume continues the National Gallery's acclaimed series of Technical Bulletins with a selection of studies across the range of the collection, jointly authored by experts in the field of conservation and the scientific examination of paintings. This issue focuses on the conservation and restoration of Artemisia Gentileschi's Self Portrait as Saint Catherine, Guido Reni's The Toilet of Venus, Scipione Pulzone's Portrait of a Cardinal, and Garofalo's Holy Family, as well as Charles Eastlake's research into Jan van Eyck's techniques. Published by National Gallery Company/Distributed by Yale University Press

The annual journal of scientific research from the National Gallery

Titian (active 1506; died 1576) is acclaimed as the greatest of the Venetian masters. His technique has long fascinated painters and collectors, and his use of oil paints and the richly colored pigments available to him in Venice influenced the subsequent history of European painting. The National Gallery, London, is home to an outstanding group of Titian's paintings, and this special edition of its annual Technical Bulletin is dedicated to the study of the artist during the first part of his career. An introductory essay focuses on Titian's painting technique, from its origins in the workshops of Venice and the Veneto, through close examination of nine works in the gallery's collection, including the stunning Bacchus and Ariadne (1520-23). The authors also discuss significant early works from other collections, such as The Triumph of Love (about 1544-6). New research and discoveries, published here for the first time, will be essential reading for Titian scholars and enthusiasts alike. Published by National Gallery Company/Distributed by Yale University Press

Published to accompany an exhibition held at The National Gallery, London, 12 June-29 September 2019.

Holbein's famous life-size double portrait 'The Ambassadors' is one of the best known of his surviving works. Yet the subject matter has always presented intriguing problems. Who precisely were the two ambassadors of the title? Why did they choose to be painted together - with an array of globes, astronomical and musical instruments, books and other objects placed on shelves between them, a skull concealed in the foreground of the painting, and a crucifix partially hidden behind a curtain? The recent careful cleaning and restoration of 'The Ambassadors' has enabled an art historian, conservator, and scientist at the National Gallery in London to collaborate on a thorough study of the making and meaning of this painting.

Bridging the fields of conservation, art history, and museum curating, this volume contains the principal papers from an international symposium titled "Historical Painting Techniques, Materials, and Studio Practice" at the University of Leiden in Amsterdam, Netherlands, from June 26 to 29, 1995. The symposium—designed for art historians, conservators, conservation scientists, and museum curators worldwide—was organized by the Department of Art History at the University of Leiden and the Art History Department of the Central Research Laboratory for Objects of Art and Science in Amsterdam. Twenty-five contributors representing museums and conservation institutions throughout the world provide recent research on historical painting techniques, including wall painting and polychrome sculpture. Topics cover the latest art historical research and scientific analyses of original techniques and materials, as well as historical sources, such as medieval treatises and descriptions of painting techniques in historical literature. Chapters include the painting methods of Rembrandt and Vermeer, Dutch 17th-century landscape painting, wall paintings in English churches, Chinese paintings on paper and canvas, and Tibetan thangkas. Color plates and black-and-white photographs illustrate works from the Middle Ages to the 20th century.

"The painting techniques of the great society painter Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723–1792), first president of the Royal Academy, are notorious for their unstable mixtures of materials, particularly in his paint media. Reynolds’s spirited response to his critics – and some disappointed clients – that ‘all good pictures crack’ reveals a problematic technique that manifested itself during his lifetime. The legacy of Reynolds’s unsound painting practice is a challenge to conservators who use great caution in treating these vulnerable paintings. This special issue of the National Gallery Technical Bulletin is the first thorough account of Reynolds’s painting materials and techniques, resulting from a multidisciplinary research collaboration between the National Gallery and the Wallace Collection. The publication of this Technical Bulletin anticipates the exhibition Joshua Reynolds: Experiments in Paint to be held at the Wallace Collection, London (12 March–7 June 2015)."--Publisher's description.

This volume presents the proceedings of an international symposium organized by the Getty Conservation Institute and the J. Paul Getty Museum. The first conference of its kind in twenty years, the symposium assembled an international group of conservators of painted panels, and gave them the opportunity to discuss their philosophies and share their work methods. Illustrated in color throughout, this volume presents thirty-one papers grouped into four topic areas: Wood Science and Technology, History of Panel-Manufacturing Techniques, History of the Structural Conservation of Panel Paintings, and Current Approaches to the Structural Conservation of Panel Paintings.

An overview of current research on technology and practice of Old Master Paintings.