Pictures surfaces
|
Johann Friedrich Ardin (zugeschrieben): Johann Wilhelm, Kurfürst von der Pfalz, circa 1710 (oval: 5,6cm x 4,5cm) Sammlung Tansey |
|
It was possible to use various picture surfaces in miniature painting. Since any unevenness or irregularities would have hampered the finely detailed painting, all of the paintings have a fine, smooth surface in common. In addition to parchment and ivory (see below), paper and white stone also served as picture surfaces for watercolour painting. A special technique was enamel miniatures (cat. no 1): A white enamel layer, roughly one millimetre thick, was applied to an embossed copper sheet and then sanded finely. The painting was then carried out with special pigments fixed insolubly onto the foundation enamel by several firings. The enamel layer on the reverse and an embossed copper sheet prevented the picture surface from losing its shape during the firing.
|
|
|
|
In the second half of the 18th century Arnaud Vincent de Montpetit (1713-1800) refined the so-called eludoric or fixe-sous-verre (fixed under glass) technique. These oil paintings were carried out on fine cloth (apparently under a thin layer of water) and the painting layer was then stuck onto the reverse side of an embossed glass with water soluble glue (presumably animal glue) (cat. nos. 2000-57 and 2000-59). Finally, small formatted portraits were also painted in oil on metal (cat no. 2000-84) which is technically related to the large-formatted panel painting.
|
|
|
Bernd Pappe |
