Paintings in the Laboratory: Scientific Examination for Art History and Conservation Dr

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Paintings in the laboratory: scientific examination for art history and conservation dr. Groen, C.M.

Publication date 2011

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ludith Leyster:A Dutch Master andHerWorld is publishedin connection with the exhibition held at FransHalsmuseurn, Haarlem May 16- August 22,1993 WorcesterArt Museum Septemberr9 - December5,1993

DESIGN Richardvanden Dool, Dordrecht

PRINTING WaandersPrinters, Zwolle

DISTRIBUTED BY YaleUniversity Press

@1993 Yale UniversitY

A Dutch edition was Published under the title 'Judith LeYster" schilderesin een mannenwereld' il 1993byWaalders Uitgevers, Zwolle, and the Frans Halsmuseum, Haarlem.

Al1 rights resewed. This bookmaY notbe reProduced, in whole or in Part, ilcluding illustrations, in anYform (beYonc that copying Permitted bY Sectioro ro7 and ro8 ofthe us. CoPlright Law and excePt bY reviewers for the public press), without written peimission from the Publishers.

The paper in this book meetsthe guideliles for permanence and durability of the committee on Production Guidelines for Book Longevitfofthe council on Library Resources.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

CATAIOGING-IN.PUBLICATION

DATA

Judith Leyster:a Dutch master and herworld/ Project directors' JamesA. Welu and Pieter Biesboer 3gzp, 23ox28o cm 'Worcester Art Museum, Frans Halsmuseum, Haarlem.' Exhibition etalog. Includes bibliographical references andindq. rsBNo-3oo-o5564-1 r. Leyster,ludith, 1609-1660- Exhibitions. r. Welu' JamesA' rr. Worcester Art Museum. rr. Frans Halsmusem. ND653.L73^41993 759.9492-dczo 93-12478 CP

A cataloguerecord for this book is available ftom the British Library.

Cover fi'ont: detail ftom cat.7 back: detail from cat'r6 Iudith Leyster: ELLA HENDRIKS AND KARIN GROEN A TechnicalExamination of HerWork

Very little technicalinformation concerning proportion of paintingson wood panelfound in paintingsattributed to Judith Leysterhas been the known production of FransHals from the same publishedprior to this catalogue,which hasinvolved period (r3 out of47 paintings).sLeyster's frequent systematictechnical examination of 16oil paintings, choiceofwood panelas a paintingsupport, as somdof which areno longer acceptedas by Leyster.r indicatedby her known paintings,counters a Among theseare six signedworks (four of them generaltendency for canyasto supersedewood as dated)which serveas key points of referencein the dominant support in seventeenth-century comparingexamination resuits.2 Although surviving Netherlandishpainting.6 The largestof Leyster's documentsoffer little definite ir,formation panels,Carousing Couple (caI.4) measures 68 x 55cm. concerningLeyster's training and the practicesof For works largerthan this, Leysterturned to canvas her studio,we hope that this first technical asa support.TThe moderatesize of her largestknovm examinationof someof her paintingsmay provide canvas,lolly Toper(cat.z), which hasbeen trimmed freshinsight into theseissues. aroundthe edgesand now measures88.o x 83.7cm, The first of our goalsis to determinewhether confirms Leyster'spredilection for painting on a amongthe heterogeneousstyles of the paintings modestscale. examined- which hasbeen explained as eclectic - There areseveral likely reasonsfor Leyster's any common characteristicsmay be considered frequentchoice of wood paneifor her painting hallmarksof Leyster'spainting technique.Second, supports.First, canvas gained popularity only we hope to discoverwhether any similaritiesin her graduallythroughout the seventeenthcentury, and painting techniquewould supportthe proposition asthe traditional painting support,wood panel that sheapprenticed to FransHals around 1629. would havebeen readily available. The small panels Up until now, the closeaffinity in styleand subject usedby Leystercould be simply made,mostly from matter of someof her paintingshas supported this a singleplank (seebelow). Second,the potential suggestion.Results ofan earliertechnical study of advantageof canvasas a lightweightmaterial that paintingsattributed to FransHals provide important could be easilyrolled up for transportwould not comparativematerial.3 Technical studies of other havebeen important for the small-scalepaintings, paintersthought to havetaught or influenced mainly genrepieces, in which Leysterspecialized. Leysterhave not taken placeon this scaleand are It appearsthat shenever executed commissions for beyondthe scopeof this project,although some large-scaleportraits or group portraits on canvasto information is available.aFinally, we hopeto comparewith thoseof other Haarlemartists, such augmentcurrent knowledgeconcerning the studio asher purported teachers,Frans Hals or the De practicesof paintersin Haarlem in generaland to Grebbers.The production ofher husband,Jan provide a foundation for continuedresearch. MienseMolenaer, provides a closercomparison with Leyster'sspecialization in small-scaleworks. The Painting Support In generalthe 1668postmortem inventory of Leyster'saccepted oeuvre consists ofabout Molenaer'seffects specifies far more panelsthan twenty oil paintings,all of which appearto date canvasesused as painting supports,although two between:629 and about 1636,when shewas still entriesdo record'large' and 'extraordinarilylarge' single.This catalogueincludes fifteen of those canvases.8 paintings,seven ofwhich are on wood paneland eighton canvas.This is roughly doublethe

PAINTINGS IN THE LABORATORY: Scientific Examination for Art History and Conservation 203 Wood Panel width in the panels,ftomtzz:rto 1.39:r.rrPossibiy This study involvestechnical examination of six manufactureof the smallestpanels, which comprise rectangularpaintings on wood panel,whose present a singleplank, was dictated by the sizeof the planks dimensionsare listed below.e deliveredby the sawmill rather than by predeterminedsizes. The width of a plank was [1:"' H;" il:'.T[:'Jl",*Til*:,"1'letreetrunk'which Seventeenth-centurytraders' inventories groupedpaintings under categoriesof size,named r Serenade a ?, < ^< (e.8.guldensor stuyvers)' 8 ManOfferingMoneyto accordingto Dutch coins aYoungWoman 3o.7 )4.r monetaryvaiues (e.g., stooters, one stooterbeing 9 A Gameof Tric-Trac 40.6 3r.o equivalent to two and a half stuivers), or subject 4 ChildrenwithaCatandanEel 58.5-59.5 48.0-48.7 matterthathadaparticularformat (e.g.,salvators). Woman 4 Portraitofa 5J.2 4L.t ++^**r. L.--,. the player Attempts^ have been made to rediscover 4o TheRommel-pot 39.o 3o.8 approximate formats intended by this seventeenthcentury nomenclature.rs All the rectangular Five of the panels examined each comprise a single paintings on wood panel attributed to Leyster plank. The smallestplank width occursin the canpresumably be associatedwith the smallest virtually intact Man OfferingMoney to a Young categoriesof paintingsnamed in seventeenth- Woman(cat.8)and measuresz4.r cm.The widest centuryinventories, from the salvatordown to the plankusedoccursinPortraitof aWoman(cat.r+), stooter.Ithasbeensuggested thatChildrenwitha which could originallyhave measured as much as Cat and an Eel(catq) could be associatedwith a 49 cm,unusually wide. Leyster'slarger painting on salvatorformat measuringabout 6z x 49 cm, though panel,Children with a Cat and an Eel(cat.r3,fig.4z, a possiblereduction in sizeof the panelshould be 44), now measuresup to 48.7cm wide and showsa takeninto account.16On the other hand, the smaller more complexconstruction. In this case,two Rommel-PotPlayer (cat.4o), which is now no longer verticalplanks have been butt-joined (straightedge thought to be by Leyster,can presumablybe againststraight edge) and glued.As wasusual compared to two other small Rommel-PotPlayers practice,weaker sapwood portions ofthe planks recordedin seventeenth-centuryinventories, one (which havebeen prone to woodworm attack)have beenjoined alongthe inside.ro Seventeenth-centurysources suggest that Frc.39 Wood panels painterscould obtain wood panelsmade by [ ]rrrishr rectansular format specialistcabinet makers and joiners,probably with standardheight and width dimensionsthat correspondedto standard-sizeframes.l I An entry in the postmorteminventory of Molenaer'seffects r'4 recordstwenty-six single piece panels, all of the same size.12Although the conceptof uniformity in the seventeenthcentury was less exact than it is today, 1.1q taken literallythis would suggesta reserveof standardformat panels.Since existing paintings on wood panelby someother seventeenth-century 1'3 painterscan be characterizedby a systemofstandard sizes,we wonderedwhether this would apply to t'25 Leyster'sproduction. The presentdimensions of six vertical rectangularpanel paintings attributed to E givenin fig.39.The small sampleof Leysterare E r.2 paintingsconsidered, as well asthe fact that E undergone examinationsshow that somehave S slight later changesin format (seenote ro), limit the i 1'r5 conclusionsthat canbe made.However, one can 3 +891314 observea rangein the proportion of heightto Catalogueno

PAINTINGS IN THE LABORATORY: Scientific Examination for Art History and Conservation 204 asa stooterand the other underthe heading of small Womanand Childrenwith a Cat ancl (see anEel (cats.r, stooters the essayby Lely-van Halm in the 8, r3) havebeen shaved down to a few millimeters presentcatalogue).r7 thickness,as part of laterrestoration treatments As with most Netherlandishpaintings of the intendedto reducewarping. period, oak appearsto havebeen used for the wood Usuallyplanks werecut radiallyfrom the tree, supportsof the paintingsexamined. Althoueh perpendicularto the annual growth rings, indigenous in order to Holland,oak was imported f-- th" to reducethe tendencyto warp with changesin Hansatowns on the Baltic.rsA robustwoocl, oak of humidity. This is the casefor A Gameoyiic_Troc about one centimeterthick providedsufficient and TheRomtnel-pot player (cats.g,4o); in the latter strength.Only three of the six panelsexamined it resuits in a natural i,vedgeshape tapering slightly (A Garneo.f portrait Tric-Trac, of a Woman, The toward the left side (corresponding 40 to thelnsie of Rommel-PotPlayer; cats.g,14, 40) retainthei,: the tree) X-ruy of Portrait of a Woman whereless beveling is required.The plank original thickness. (cat.r4). The painting support In raking light (light from the usedin Portrait of aWoman(cat.r4),in contrast,has is a tangentially sawn plank. sidewhich skimsthe surface),marks from the tools beencut tangentially,parallel An undulating pattern ofthe to the annualsrowth usedto work the timber can be observedon the wood grain is made visible by rings,close to the heart of the tree.A charact-eristic the x-ray absorbent properties reverseofthe planks.The other threepanel supports undulating pattern of the wood grain results,ciearly ofthe lead-white basedground examined, Serenade,Man OfferingMoney to a young visiblein an x-ray (fig.+o).

Canvas This study involvestechnical examination of eight paintingson canvas,which haveall beenlined (adhered to a backingcanvas) at a iater date.The presentmaximum edge-to-edgedimensions of the original canvasesare listed below.re

HEIGHT WTDTH CAT.NO. (cv) (crur)

z Jolly Toper 88 V,I 5 Merry Company 74.4 62.9 6 The Last Drop 88.2 73.2 7 Self-Portait 74.1 65.3 38 LaughingYouth with a Wine Glass 78.8 69.o 39 The Jester 67.9 )0 1 StandingCavalier 4t 61.2 49.o +z Violinist 76.2 66.4

For their painting supports,seventeenth-century Netherlandishpainters made useof fabricswoven for other purposes,especially linen, which was commonly usedfor clothing and sails.Haarlem wasan important centerfor specializedprocessing of linen, suchas bleaching threads and damask weaving.Coarser types of linen wereprobably imported. Ghent wasan important exportcenter for coarselinen in the earlyseventeenth century and Spainsupplied a certaincoarse q?e oflinen usedfor sails.Linen canvaswas available in standardwidths, associatedwith particular grades,which weresold in the appropriatecategory of market.The standard widths of canvasstrips availablewere relatedto standardunits of measurement,like the Brabantel, which measuredabout 69.5cm. Standardwidths

IUDITH LEYSTER: A TECHNICAL €XAIIINATION OF HER WORK 95

PAINTINGS IN THE LABORATORY: Scientific Examination for Art History and Conservation 205 could be basedon a fourth, an eighth,or evena VERTICAL HORIZONTAL sixteenthof an el.2o THREADS TH REA DS With the exceptionof TheLast Drop (cat.6), CAT.NO PER CM PER CM the works examinedare painted on a singlestrip of canvas.One can generallyassume that in order 2 lolly Toper r3 1l to avoid wastage,the smallestdimension of the 6 TheLast Drop t4 12 painting supports(here the width) correspondsto 7 Self-Portrait r4 10 LaughingYouthwith the entire width of the canvasstrip used.In this case, 38 aWineGlass 16 l5 this could not be confirmed sincethe complete 39 The Jester 11.5 13 absenceofselvages suggests that none ofthe 4z Violinist 1Z 12.5 canvasesexamined are completely intact. Nonetheless,allowing for slight changesin format, one might thereforesuggest that threepaintings The diversityof linen tlpes availableto artists (Merry Company,Self-Portrait, and Violinist, cats.5, at the time is reflectedeven in this selectgroup of 7, 4z)have been painted on stripsof canvaswhich works.For example,three canvases, which wereall areone Brabantel (about 69.5cm) wide. Only lolly presumablyone Brabantel wide, all show different Toper(cat.z) shows a strip width greaterthan one el: threaddensities (the main canvasof TheLast Drop, it measuresalmost 85 cm, or one and one quarter el. Self-P or trait, and Violinist; cats.6,7, 4z).2aThe rather This is the equivalentof a standardwidth of canvas fine threaddensity measured in LaughingYouth with calleda zeildoek(sailcloth), used in the measurement a Wine Glass(cat.38) cannot be usedas a criterion to of sails.2r link this painting with the Utrecht School,as similar An exceptionis the canvassupport of TheLast gradesofcanvas have been encountered in paintings Drop (cat.6),which is made up of severalpieces. The madein both Utrecht and Haarlem durine this X-ray showsthat the main canvas,which measures period.2s up to 8r.4 cm high and 67.9cm wide, hasbeen Only threeof the canvasesexamined are securely enlargedby three smallstrips of a different grade attributedto Leysterin this volume; the mono- (thread density)ofcanvas attached along the top, grammedcanvases of Jolly Toperand TheLast Drop left, and bottom sides.The main canvasappears and her Self-Portrait(cats.z, 6, and 7). The thread virtually intact,showing pronounced cusping on densitiesmeasured in thesepaintings all fall within all four sidesand evidenceofthe original rolled the middle range,but a wider surveyis requiredto stretchingedges along the threesides with additions, draw valid conclusions.One neednot expectto find suggestingthat a one el wide strip wasused. (See that the painterpreferred to usea particulartlpe of below concerningstretching canvas). Examination canvas.Studies ofcanvas supports used by the work- of paint layerssuggests that the stripsadded to shopsof FransHals and Rembrandthave shown a enlargethe compositionwere attached after the broad rangeofthread densities,even in closelydated main painting had beenexecuted and that they are paintings.These cases suggest that it wasstudio very early,ifnot original additionsby Leyster.In its practiceto draw on the wide choiceof available original format, the designwould haveappeareo canvasgrades, rather than to stockonly a few bolts. incomplete,with part of the headand back of the left Contemporaryrecipes for priming suggestthat its figure cut offat the edgeand the toe anCpipe ofthe function wasto provide a smooth surfaceon which standingfigure so closeto the edgethat they would to paint, regardlessofthe gradeofcanvas used.26 probably havebeen hidden by the inner edgeofthe Presumably,Leyster's canvases were laced onto frame.An earlycopy of the painting showsthe a woodenframe or strainerfor preparationas a composition in its extendedform.22 painting support,as was usual practice (see fig.z7 Althor"rghsources suggest a relation between and cat.33).The canvasedge would havebeen' the rvidth and the gradeofcanvas strips sold on the reinforcedby sen'ingit around a cord, in order to market, the presentexamination did not reveala preventa stretchingcord lacedthrough at intervals . consistentrelationship in the paintingsupports from pulling through. Only the main canvasof The examined.Listed below areaverage thread densities LastDrop (cat.6)shows evidence of the original of the canvassupports measured from availablex- stretchingedges, which in other paintingsexamined raysor directly on the paintings(cats.38, 39, 42).23 werecut off during later lining treatment.The canvaswas drawn into peaksat the points of stretchingand the resultingscalloped deformation,

PAINTINGS IN THE LABORATORY: Scientific Examination for Art History and Conservation 206 known ascusping, was fixed by the applicationof of priming a panelthat one would expectin the size(animal glue) and ground layers.Measurements seventeenthcentury, A Gameof Tric-Trac(cat.9 of the cuspingspan (the distancebetween scallop andfig.+zr) and the signedChildren with a Cat and peaks)in the paintingsexamined suggest that the an Eel(cat.g and fig.4ze).In his noteson painting stretchingcord wasiaced through the canvasedge techniquecompiied from 16zoonward, T. T. de at regularintervals ranging from 7 to 8 cm.27 Mayernedescribes this traditional method of priming panelusing chalk bound in gluewith an The Ground Layer(s) imprimatura (a thin and slightlycolored oii paint Panel layer)applied on top to sealthe absorbentchalk This studyof ground layersapplied to wood ground.28The chalkground visiblein the paint panel involvessix paintings,of which threeare samplesfrom thesetwo paintingsis very thin, bareiy monogrammedand dated(Serenade, Man Offering coveringthe grain of the wood. Money to a YoungWoman, and Portrait of a Woman; On the other hand,the three monogrammedand cats.l,8, 14)and one signed(Children with a Cat and datedworkshave been prepared with a lead-white an EeI;cat.r3). Tiny paint samplescould be removed basedpaint, tinted by the addition of a little ocheror from the paintingsfor analysis(see fig.4r). umber and alsosome black pigment in Serenadeand Only two works showthe traditional method Man OfferingMoney to a YoungWoman (cats.r, B

FrG.41

Ground Layers

CAT. TITLE DATE CANVAS COMPOSITION NO. PANEL

r Serenade 1629 p lead white, umber, very little fine black z Jolly Toper 1629 c 1oo pm thick; lead white, very little fine brown ocher or umber

6 The Last Drop c >6o pm thick; lead white, brown ocher or umber, fine black

8 Man Ot'fering Money 1631 p Two layers, >4o pm thick; to a Young Woman lead white, ocher and carbon black. Bottom layer whitish, top one grayish

9 AGame of Tric-Trac P two layers i) chalk ii) pinkish imprimatura; lead white, umber, a 1itt1ered ocher

13 Children with a P two layers CatandanEel i)chalk ii) ninkish imorimatura; leadwhite, chalk,red ocher

14 Portrait of a Woman :635 p lead white, a little ocher or umber

37 LaughingYouth c double ground with a Wine Glass i) r3o-z4o pm thick; fine red ocher ii) o-45 pm thick; lead white, fine (probably charcoal) black

3g The lester c 8o pm thick; lead white, a iittie ocher or umber

39 The Rommel-Pot Player p lead white, fine brown ocher or umber

40 Standing Cawlier c two layers i) chalk, a little lead white, umber ii) lead white, a little umber, very little black

very little umber 47 violinist c >4o pm thick; lead white,

IUDITH LEYSTER: A TECHNICAL EXAMINATION OF HER WORK 97

PAINTINGS IN THE LABORATORY: Scientific Examination for Art History and Conservation 207 and fig.42c).The Rommel-Pot Player (cat.4o and Iittle bright red ocher or blackpigment. The very fig.+zo)shows a similar ground. Thesepresumably early,if not original, additionsin TheLast Drop oil-basedgrounds are more than twice the thicl

PAINTINGS IN THE LABORATORY: Scientific Examination for Art History and Conservation 210 B C D E Painr crossrcion ofthe yellowish Painrcross section ofthe [ightgreenish Paint cross section from the man's Paint crosssection ofthe middle Prin! crosssection from thered sleeve greenchair back a)ongthe left edgein gray background along the top edgein shadow, along the Ieft ed.ge,in Man tone in the girl's greenskirt along the ofthe right-hand6gure just above his A Gane ofTric-Trat (cat.g). Children nth a Cat ana an Eel(cat.\3). Offeinglr4onel to a YoungWoman bosom edgein fie Rommel-PotPlayer left handin TlelasrDrop (cat.6).The ir'lagnification5oox. Layers: r) chalk Magnification ioox. Layers:r) chalk (cat.8). I,lagnification 2oox. Layers: 1) (ca!.40).Magnifi cation 5oox.Layers: painting wassarnpled before cleaning. white, ground;2) imprimaturaoflead white, ground gromd; z) imprimatura of lead containing lead white, finely r) ground conlaining leadwhite, fine Magnification zoox. Layers:t ground umber,dda lisle r€docher;:)thin chalk, and a little red ocher;3) lead ground brown ocher, and a little black; brown ocherorumber;2) carbon containinB lead whire, fi neiy ground layerofumber, leadwhite, and chalk; whjt€, umber;4) leadwhite, fine black z&3) lead white, fi ne black pigment, black, unrber, Ieadwhite; j) greenish brown ocher or umber; z) vermiliion pignrent, 4) grayishlayerofleadwhite, fine black ocher;5)varnish tinted with andvery little ocher;4) yellowish bluecopperpigment with rounded and a little organic red pigment in a (?) pigment,and yellowocher;5) bone blackpigmenl thin, modernvarnish. brown containing brown, yeLlow, and crystals,lead white, alittlebrown and lot ofmedium; j) vermillionand lead black;6) fine black,,velJow,and a IittJe a Iicle red ocher, Jead white, biack; red ocherandcarbon black;4) modern white in a lot ofmedium (layers:& 3 brownocher;7) modern slmthetic 5) dark brown containingbrown ocher arewet-in-wet); 4) varnish. varnish- and blackr 6) varnish.

F G H I J crosssection from the addition Paini crosssection from a Paint shadowarea Paint crosssection from the gray sleeve Paint(ross section from theedgeof Detailofwoman's face in AGane o[ the lefi side of IAelNt Drop (.car.6) in the red striped costume on along the by the right elbow of,lolly Toper(cat.z). Laughin|Youth with a Wine Glass Tr;c-'l'rac(car.g). Datk lines ofunder abovethe drinker's head along bottom edgein T[e/esfer (cat.j9). sampled Magnification 2oox-Layers: t) ground (cat.38).Magnifi cation zoox. Double drawing, painted ivjth organic red the Ieft edg€before the painting was Magnifi cation 2oox. l.ayers:1) ground containinglead white and finebrown ground grayover red-The first layer pigment,are visible through trans- 2oox. Layers: cleaned.Magnifi cation containing leadwhite and a little ocher ocher. Brou'n discolored glue under- containsfinely groundbrighr red lucentflesh paint aroundherchin, leadwhite wirh 1)ground containing or umberi 2) bone black and a little red; neath;2) leadwhite, umber, fine black; ocher; the secondcontains lead white, forehead,and eyes. orangebroM ocherousPigments; 3) vermiliionanda littleorganicred j) thin layerofvarnish;4) remnant of fi nely ground carbon (possibly 2)brown ocher, bone black, and a little pigment;4) varnishi5) thin layerof thingrayoverpaint? charcoai)black;:) brown painrlay€r leadwhite; l) varnish;4)overpaint blackoverpaintl 6) varnish. containing a mixture of brown, black, with red and black pigment;5) two anda littleredpigment. layersofvarnish. Although the ground layercontainsa mifrurethat could havebeen used in the seventeenth censry, it is cleariymuch darker than the ground in the main picture.

K L M N o Paintcross section from thegreenish- Paint crosssection from the shadow in Paint crosssection from the gray Deta\l of Serenatle(catt ). Th e rop painI Paint crosssectionfrom the iight graybackground,along the left edge the right background,along the righr backgrovnd, i.n lolly Toper (car.2). layerof the background doesnot quite contour around the left sideofthe in A GameofTric Ttur (c r.gJ. edgein Man Ofeing Maney to a Youhg Magnificarion ioox. The lead-white extend to theplumed hat, leavinga black beret in Serenade(cat.r). MaSnificaIion2oox. Layers: r) ground Wona, (cat.8).Magnificaiion 20ox. basedground is visible in rhe botto6 margin oflight urderpaint visible Magnification zoox. Layers:r) trace containing leadwhite, a little umber, Layers:1& 2) ground layers containing right corner, broken away from the around the sharplylit contour. This oIan underlayer containing leadwhitc and very Iirle red ocher;z) finely iead whire, a little and ocher black; mainpaint layer ofthe background providesa theatricailighting effed. with finelygroundocheror umber; groundbone black, lead white, and *en layerofboneblack;4) finely 3) duringpreparation ofthe sample.The z) brown backgroundcontaining lead ocher;3)finelyground bone black, a ground yellow ocher, a little leadwhire background containslead white, fine whi!e, possiblya lifile ]eadtin yellow, littlelead whiteand ocher. and black;j) varnish. (possib)ylamp) black, and a little red Termillion, bone black,brown ocher, andyellow ocher. and very linle blue (copper?)pigmenr; 3) leadwhite and umber;4)varnish.

a R s T Detail ofmonogrant and date in /oll.i, Detail ofmonogram and dare in Detailofwoman's facelit by lamplighr Detail oftheleft revelerin Marry Detail ofthe faceof Violinist\cat.42). Toper (cat.2) . Portrait ofa \|oman lcatt4\. in lvlan OlfeingMoney to a Young Company(cat.5). Curls drawn by Blue(azurite) pigmenr has been mixed (cat.8 Wonnr 1reveali ng giimpses of scratchinginto wet paint revealcool into the top layerofflesh paint in ord€r coolgray underpainr. grayunderpaint in hisforehead and to provide the cool middle tonesvisible the ljghtoch€rous ground eisewhere. down the sideofthe nose. The sratched lines left the underlayers intactindicating that they werealready dry.

U X Y Defailofthe hand in /olly Toperlcar]) Detailofthe bluecostume ofrhe left Paint cross seclion ofthe girl's blue Detailofthe bluecostume of the Paintcross section ofthe boy'sblue hat an evenlayer oflight orangeunder- plaverin A Gane ofTric-Trcc (cat.g). ski( along the bottom edge ir Childrcil liolinjil in N4erry Cailrponyl.at.t). along the ieft edgein TheRonntel Por Parnttor theruddy fleshruns under l hecostume is modeled using ultra- ||ith a Cat a'd dt Eel kat.\) Blue(apparently indigo) glazes are Pldr?r(cat.40). Magnifi cation joor. lheIid ofrhe tankardwhere ir shows m:rine glazesapplied over brown Magnification zoox. Layers; r) chalk applieddirectly on the Iightground Layers:1) ground containing lead whire throughthin grayprlnt to providc underpaint in theshadows and white ground; 2) imprimatura of lead white, in theshadows (contrast a reflection fig.4zv).The and alittle finebrown ocheror umber; on the melal.This is underpaintin thehighlights. The chalkand a little red ocher;:) dark transparentappearance ofthe blue 2) gr;iy-brownwith a littleleadwhite emPhasizedby orangeaccents added scratchacross the player's shoulderis brown mixture ofocher or umber, a sleeveis partly due to fadingofthe andvery little blue (copper?)pigmenr; an originaldamage in the grcund made little lead white and black;4) indigo indigoglazes under the influenceof 3) brown and r€docher with a litlle beforeexecurion ofthe painting. and lead white; t) modern, pigmented Iight.The thin glazesare also abraded. black;4)indigo and leadwhite; 51 varnish. nodern varnish. N.B.During the renovalofpaint I'he samplesit wasapparenl ma8nification of the painrcross tha!dre paint s€cllons tendsto stickto mentionedare those used in thistype ofmodern, tne syntheticvarnish. microscope.The paintlayers are numbered Frofi th€borrom upwards.

98 FtG.42

PAINTINGS IN THE LABORATORY: Scientific Examination for Art History and Conservation 208 = -

'li '%ir".}

i't' ti'l :' ,,''

ITIDIl'H I ]:YS-fER: A 1'ECLINICAI, EXAMINATION OI] HEII WOITK 99

PAINTINGS IN THE LABORATORY: Scientific Examination for Art History and Conservation 209 of thisunusr-ral ground structure. One cannot rule typicatonly of FransHals, who ntay haveinfluenced out thepossibility that paintersoccasionally Leyster,or whetherit is commonto otherHaarlem acquiredcanvases primed in othercities. A case arlistsitr a periodwhen pail)ters a!)Pear to have in pointis the large group portrait on canvas, dispensedwith a detailedstage of underdrawing. MeagreCompany, documented as a commission Two of Leyster'sgenre paintings on wood panel in Amsterdamthat wasbegun by FransHals and show a particularlyextensive painted sketch: A completedby PieterCodde. This painting alsoshows Gameof Tric-Tracand Childrenwith a Cat and an a double,gray-over-reddish layer structure which is Eel(cat.9, r:). The bo1dlypainted lines of under' unlikeHals's tlpical flesh-coloredprimings. Hals drawing are revealedwhere they do not coincide may haveobtained his primed canvasin Amsterdam, with the overlyingdesign in the finishedpainting ratherthan Haariem,for the sakeof convenience; (seeRevisions and Pentimenti,below). This suggests Rembrandtis known to haveused this tlpe of a spontaneousprocedure, whereby the composition primed canvasfor his earlyworks in Ainsterdam.3T is sketchedwith paint directlyon the primed support and revisedthroughout subsequentstages. Underdrawing Again, this agreeswith the characteristicpractice Most of the paintingsby Leysterthat were of FransHals.sB Examination of Cardplayersby examinedreveai giimpses of an underlyinginitial Lamplight(cat.z8), which hasonly recentlybeen sketchof the compositionon the primed painting attributedto Molenaerand is closelyrelated in support.Forms are schematically indicated with compositionto Leyster'sGame of Tric-Trac(car.g), paintedlines, such as the ellipsesof the woman's did not revealthis samebold stageof painted faceand her glassin A Gameof Tric-Trac(cat.9 and underdrawing.3e fig.+zl),or thoseof the tankardrn JollyToper (cat'z). Man OfferingMoney to a YoungWoman (cat.B) Both dark and light painted linesof underdrawing showsanother technique of underdrawing.Lines occur.Dark iinesare often coloredgray to brown, werescratched into the ground layerwhile it wasstill but microscopicexamination of A Gameof Tric-Trac wet. Converginglines in the backgroundradiate suggeststhat the dark linesapparent under trans- from the right sideto the top of the woman's head lucent areasoflight fleshcontain red lake (a natural and parallelto her left thigh, and a shorterline organicdye stuff). On the other hand, abrasionof marksthe far edgeof the floor. Though subsequently coloredgarments often revealsrelieved whitish painted over by Leyster,the linesare stili apparentin strokesof underdrawing,which sketchthe foids. raking light and in the x-ray. Theselines of under- This occursin the grayish-greenbreeches ofthe drawing wereused in constructingthe perspectiveof playerat left in A Gameof Tric-Tracandin the black the asymmetricalcomposition, which focuseson the dressin Portrait of aWoman (cat.i4).The initial figuresin the left foreground.This dramaticeffect contoursand folds of the white partsof the costumes heightensthe psychologicaltension of the scene.a(l aresimilarly indicatedusing raisedstrokes of whitish paint, which may be so extensiveas to constitutea Build-up of Paint Layers layerof underpaint.These underlying paint strokes The r668postmortem inventory of JanMiense arerevealed where they cut acrossfinal layersof Molenaer'seffects lists a number of paintings paint, suchas in the collarsand cuffsin Serenade accordingto stageofcompletion: begonnen(begun), (seefig.+:r), A Gameof Tric-Trac,and Portrait of a aengelij dt (laid in), gedootv erffd ( dead- colored)' Woman(cats.r, 9,t4) or in the seamstress'scape in and opgemaecki(worked up).'a' Although the exact Man OfferingMoney to a YoungWoman(cat.8). meaningsof theseterms now eludeus, it is further The characterofthe painted sketchin the evidenceofthe separatestages in the buildup ofthe examinedpaintings by Leysteragrees with that paintingsexamined. Surface examination even observedin paintingsattributed to FransHaIs. The suggestsdistinct stagesin executionofthe alleged Ronunel-PotPlayer (cat.4o), now attributedto the swift portrait sketchStanding Cavalier (cat.4r)' \{ie studio of FransHals, shows a similar underlying shalldescribe the variousstages in an attempt to sketchmade using dark and Iight paintedlines. For reconstructthe painting procedure,although this exampie,gray lines sketch the zig-zagoutlineof the cannot be rigidly defined.a2 triangularlace lobes around the girl's cap,whereas relievedwhite strokessketch the folds of the boy's Backgrounds jacketat lower left. Further technicalresearch is Examinationssuggest that Leyster's requiredto confirm lvhetherthis procedureis compositionswere laid in usingareas of underpaint,

IUDITH LEYSTER: A TECHNICAL EXAMINATiON OF HER WORK

PAINTINGS IN THE LABORATORY: Scientific Examination for Art History and Conservation 211 thinly appliedon the light ground. Light and dark caston the wall. Paint samplesshow this areasofthe backgroundswere first estabiishedin (approximately+o p-) thick layerof underpaint underpaint,working around the areasreserved for to containvery finely ground bone black.Finely the figures.Evidence ofthis procedureappears in ground yellow ocherhas been applied over the black Merry Company(cat.) wherepatches of underpaint, underpaintin order to achievethe final greeneffect visiblethrough the background,outline the main ofthe background.a6In contrast,the backgroundof figures.As in this painting,sometimes the initial lolly Toper(cat.z and fig.4zv) appearsas a rather flat reservesfor the figuresin other works were not and opaquebackdrop behind the figure.In this case, strictly adheredto in the finishedpainting.a3 a thin layer(approximately Z p-) of dark gray Underpaint ofthe backgroundsis often apparent underpaintpresent in the right backgroundis not in paint samplesas the bottom layerof two thin visibleat the paint surface.It is coveredby a lighter paint layers.For example,greenish graybackground layerof graypaint of about the samethickness and paint in A Gameof Tric-Trac(cat.g and fig.4zx) containingthe samelead white, fine black,and a hasbeen appiied in two thin (approximatelyrz pm) little red and yellowocher pigments. The background layerswhich contain fine bone black,lead white, is slightlymodeled by varying the proportions of and ocher.The underpaintlayer is slightlylighter in thesemixed pigmentsrather than exploitingthe color. Similarly,the Iight greenish-graybackground visibility of underpaint.The slight contrastbetween in Childrenwith a Cat and an Eel(cat.r3 and fig.4ze) the graycolors ofthe backgroundand the toper's is appliedin two thin layers:a 10pm thick layerof costume(see fig.4zH), together with his flat pose, underpaint containinglead white and umber with accentuatethe shallowerrelief of this painting.aT a 7 lLmthick layercontaining fine black and yellow Sometimesa smallmargin of light underpaint ocher on top. Backgroundpaint sampledon an for the backgroundis revealedaround figures,where addedstrip in TheLast Drop (cat.6)contains the top paint layerofthe backgrounddoes not quite pigmentssimilar to thosein the main background, extendto the figure.This technicaldevice is usedto though in a darkergrayish green mixture, and highlightthe figure contours.Examples include the applied asa singlelayer. The main background Iight contoursof the figureslit by an oil iamp in showsa characteristicbuildup of two paint layers, Man OfferingMoneyto aYoungWoman(cat.8), the hereappiied wet-in-r,r'et.aa The two-layerbuildup of woman'sleft sleevein Portrait of a Woman(cat.r4), the backgrounds,generally observed in the Leyster and the stronglylit black featheredberet in Serenade paintingsthat were examined,differs from the (cat.rand fig.4zw,o). In the last example,a paint simpler buildup of backgroundsfound in paintings sampleconfirms that the light contour is clarifiedby by FransHals. Examinations have shown that in a localtouch of paint, in the samewhitish color as almost everycase, Hals appliedhis commonly the exposedunderpaint ofthe backgroundbut greenishgray backgrounds to his portraits in one appliedon top. Suchpainterly tricks arefrequently layer,directly on the ground.Their hue was adjusted observedin the contoursof FransHals's figures. by varying the mixtures of leadwhite, black, anc- Exceptionallywide marginsare left uncoveredby ocher pigments.a5Leyster seems to haveused a backgroundpaint around the left- and right-hand slightlymore elaboratebuildup in order to achieve figuresin Merry Company(cat.5), so that they a greatervariety ofbackground effects,which appearpeculiarly detached from the background. influencethe moodsof herpaintings. One of the final elementsadded to the back- Sometimesunderpaint is exploitedto provide groundis thesignature and date(see fig.4zr, q). The atmosphericmodeling of the backgrounds,as in monogram and datein lolly Toper(cat.z) is painted Merry Company(cat.) . Paleyellow underpaint of usinggray paint on the lighter gray background.The light areasand dark grayunderpaint of shadowareas other monogramsand dates,as well asthe signature in the backgroundhas been left visiblethrough the ('iudith*') in Childrenwith a Cat andan Eel(cat.t3), light graypaint which hasbeen brushed streakily on arethinly paintedusing brown or blackpaint. These top. This providesthe jovial, daytimescene with an areheightened with fine white linesto provide airy setting.Leyster favors dramatic, artificial trompei'oeil modelingin Serenade(cat.t). lighting effectsin many of her backgrounds.In the sceneof Man OfferingMoney to a YoungWoman Flesh (cat.Band fig.4zr),litby an oil iamp,a largearea of In Leyster'spaintings, flesh areas are usually black underpaint showsthrough the greenishback- appiiedas an opaquelayer, although sometimesit is ground on the right sideto provide a faint shadow possibleto catcha glimpseof underpaint in diverse

PAINTINGS IN THE LABORATORY: Scientific Examination for Art History and Conservation 212 colors.Thick, light grayunderpaint often appears in dark blue (see,for example,A Ghmeof "l-ric-Trac 'cool'areasofflesh, such as in thefaces lit by an oil (cat.9and lrg.4zv) and Childrenwith a Cat and an lamp in Man OfferingMoney to a YoungWoman Eel(cat.4and fig.4zw).This procedurewas (cat.8and fig.+zn)and A Gameof Tric-Trac(cat.q). preferable,as pure indigois a strongcolor and Curlsdrawn by scratchingthrough wet paint in the would havelooked black instead of blue.in places foreheadof the reveleron the left in Merry Company whereindigo (a vegetablecoloring matter) was (cat.5and fig.4zs),similarly revealcool grayunder- thinly appiiedand not mixed with leadwhite, it has paint. Sometimessmall patchesof this underpaint, tendedto fadefrom exposureto light. This partly or alternativelythe gray ground, arele{1 deliberately accountsfor the transparentappearance ofthe exposedto createhalftones in the flesh(see the violinist'sblue costumein Merry Company(cat.5 and woman's facein Man Offering Money to a Young figs.4zx,43n), reveaiingthe light ground beneath.In Womanand Portrait of aWoman (cats.8,14). this case,there is no underpaintand the reflectance Microscopicexamination suggests that a different ofthe ground (theproperty ofthe paleground to procedurehas been used to achievethe cool grayflesh reflectlight) is exploitedto intensift the color of tonesin two paintingsof problematicattribution. indigo glazesapplied directly on top. Indigo also Unusually,in TheJester (cat.:g) and evenmore appearsin the blue costumesin TheRommel-Pot extensivelyin Violinist(cat.4z and ftg.4zr,43w),blue Player(cat.4o and fig.4zv) and Violinist(cat.4z). pigment hasbeen mlxed (sometimeswith black) The useof indigo wasnot recommendedin the into thetop layerof fleshpaint. seventeenthcentury; nonetheless, Leyster and her In contrast, the ruddy fleshof lolly Toper(cat.z) contemporariesin Haarlem,including FransHals hasbeen laid in using a rather thin and evenlayer of and Molenaer,appear to haveused it despiteits light orangeunderpaint. The orangeunderpaint of tendencyto fade.so the man'sleft hand is allowedto run under the lid of Azurite, a more greenish-bluepigment than the tankardwhere it showsthrough thin graypaint to indigo, hasbeen used in the greencostumes in provide a warm reflectionon the metal,heightened TheRommel-Pot Player (cat.4o and figs.4zo,43n). by touchesoforange paint appliedon top (see This copperpigment wasmixed with leadtin yellow fig.4zu).Color nuancesin the fleshwere detailed at and leadwhite to obtain green- usualpractice in a latestage. Abrasion reveals that the red accentsof the seventeenthcentury asno ideaigreen pigment the drinker'snose, flushed cheeks, and lips arethinly existed.In the girl's skirt, the greenpaint mixture paintedon top of the main layerof light fleshpaint hasbeen applied on top oflight gray underpaintin (seefig.43r). This differsfrom Leyster'sslightly later the light folds and thin brown underpaintin the Self-Portrait(cat.Z), where quite detailedmodeling shadows.The adjacentgreenish-gray jacket of the of the faceseems to havealready been established in boy showsa similar buildup. Unlike the natural the underpaintstage. ln Self-Portralfnumerous tiny form of azuriteidentified in the mixed greensof paint iossesreveal underpaint in a wide varietyof the tableclothin lolly Toper,thechair in Portraitof colors,ranging from whitish grayto dark yellow and a Woman,and the landscapein StandingCavalier pink.as (cats.z,t4,4t andfig.+le), an artificial form of azuritewith small and regularlyrounded crystalscan Costumes be observedin TheRommel-Pot Player (see fig.43n). Leyster'sgenre subject matter allowsfor more Useofartificial coppergreen has been noted in brightly coloredcostumes than appearin the paintingsby FransHais, but artificial copperblue commissionedportraits of FransHals, who was and greenpigments are known to havebeen in use largelyconfined to painting somberblack Regent evenbefore the seventeenthcentury.5r garmentsfrom the r63osonward. In her costumes In the paintingsexamined, blue is often setoff Leysterrepeats certain colors, achieved by usinga againstbright red costurnesor details.Different tlpical rangeof pigmentsand underlayersof a shadesof red havebeen obtained using various particularhue. combinationsof opaquevermilion and transparent Bluecostumes are most often paintedusing dark red lake pigments,sometimes mixed with black-For blue indigo, mixed with various proportionsof lead example,the red featherin the cap of JollyToper white in order to model folds.aeRather than using (cat.zand figs.43c,o) waslaid in usinga dark pure indigo in the shadowsas one might expect, mixture of red lake and blackand then detailed Leysteroften mixed it with leadwhite and appiied using strokesof vermilion and thick touches it over brown underpaint in order to obtain a very (approximately6o trrm)of red lakepaint applied

LEYSTER: A TECHNICAL EKAEIINATION OF HER WORK 103 'UDITH

PAINTINGS IN THE LABORATORY: Scientific Examination for Art History and Conservation 213 on top. Similarly,the red costumetn TheLast Drop acrosshis right ear.The tankard,his fingersholding (cat.6and fig.+ze)shows a dark led underpaint it, and the finai detailsof the costumewere the containing vermilion and organicred, with light remainingfeatures to be con.rpletedover the back- folds painted on top usingvern-rilion mixed with ground.The precisephysiognomy of the character leadwhite. The dark purplish shadowarea of the portrayedhas led to the suggestionthat it represents costumeof TheJester (cat.39 and fig.+:E)shows a an actualportrait (seecat.z). In this case,one might brownish-blackunderlayer containing bone black suggestthat dependenceupon the presenceof the and a little vermilion, with bright strokesof sittermay havedetermined the unorthodox vermilion painted on top.52 procedurefollowed. Where the backgroundoverlaps As mentioned above,collars and cuffsusually the figures,rather than the viceversa, this may also show white underpaint.A calculatedprocedure was indicatethat the backgroundhas been reworked in followed in painting the ruff in Portrait of a Woman order to disguisea pentimento,or changein the (cat.r4and fig.+fr). Whereasthe light part showsthe original design,as in TheLast Drop (cat.6).53 usualundersketch in white paint applieddirectly on Conforming to a generalsequence of completing the ground, the dark part hasbeen thinly painted backgroundelements before foreground elements, over the finishedbackground in order to provide Leysterusually finished undergarments before those shadow.Unusuaily, light pink underpaint (micro- on top. Thus collarsand cuffsand other costume scopicexamination suggests a mixture of leadwhite embellishmentsare usually detailed last, although and red lake) appearsunder the whitish capand exceptionsoccur. In the caseoftwo figuresin fashionableflat collar in Leyster'sSelf-Portrait(cat.7 TheLast Drop and Concert(.cats.6, ro), whereit is and fig.+:c). Although increasedtransparency ofthe suggestedtheir costumes are worn over normal lead-whitepaint hascaused the pink underpaintto clothing,the undergarmentswere completed last, becomemore apparent,presumably it wasalways overlappingthe collars.saSometimes a pentimento visiblethrough the thiniy painted capand collar. can explaina reversedprocedure as in A Gameof Possiblythis wasintended to imitate the effectof the Tric-Trac(cat.9 and fig.+:l). Two red ribbons on the pinkish ground or imprimatura showingthrough seamstress'scape have been largely obliterated by translucentwhite paint, which can often be observed white paint appliedduring the modification of her in the collarsand cuffsof portraitsby FransHals. In right sleeve. this painting, the ground layerappears whitish. The Slightadjustments were sometimes necessary pink underpaint providesa warm tint in the collar, to draw togetheradjacent areas which had been contrastedby cool grayshadows which contain a paintedsuccessively. For example,the lute player's fine blue pigment. right cuffin Serenade(cat.r and fi9.+:x) hasbeen extendedto meethis hand. Suchobservations Sequenceof Painting Parts provide evidencethat, especiallywhen Leysterwas As one might expect,areas of the composition dependentupon the presenceof a portrait model, that invoived a differentpalette were not necessarily the facemay havebeen painted separately from the rvorkedup together.Study ofthe overlapofpaint restof the figure.This practiceis not surprising. layersreveals the sequencein which differentareas of ConstantijnHuygens recounts how the painter Jan the paintingswere completed. A generalprocedure Lievensfirst painted Huygens'sclothing and bare appearsto be a progressionfrom backgroundto handsand postponedthe painting of his faceuntil foreground features.Thus figureswere usually spring,since the dayswere so short.55In Leyster's completedafter the background,which they overlap Portrait of aWoman (cat.r4and fig.$r), strokesof around the edges.This is sometimesdifficuit to paint addedacross the neckdraw togetherthe establish,since the figure contourshave been separatelyexecuted head and body, and the collar reworkedwith local touchesof paint. However, hasbeen slightly extended where the two meet. the two principai figuresin Merry Company(cat.5 Siightadjustments to the width of the collar anc and fig.43u) show a straightforwardprocedure; the shoulderswere made at a latestage, presumably in figureshave been fiiled into an excessivereserve in relationto the head.Even more clearlytn Concert, the finishedbackground, which they overlapin (cat.ro),the headsand neckshave been added later, places.On the other hand,the figure in lolly Toper overlappingthe finishedcollars and background. (cat.zand fig.+Zt)was largely finished when the top The impastoof the white collarsappear to havebeen paint layer of the backgroundwas applied around it, dry when the faceswere added on top, suggestinga generallyoverlapping the figure and cutting abruptly significanttime intervalbetween the painting of the

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PAINTINGS IN THE LABORATORY: Scientific Examination for Art History and Conservation 214 two components. Onceagain, the right figureshows reflectography(figs.+; and 43n) revealsthat two minor pentimenti,which suggest that it was facesin theright doorwayoriginally turned in the necessaryto realignthe collar and shoulderswith oppositedirection, to their leftaround the doorpost. respectto the addedhead. These observations lend Beforethese two changeswere made, the support to the suggestionthat the facesportrayed compositionwould havebeen closer to that found in in Concertare actual portraits rather than ideaiized contemporaryand later versions of thistheme, one (see characters cat.ro). of which hasbeen attributed as a protot).ireversion by FransHals (seefig.4oa). The boy in a ftir hat Revisionsand Pentimenti recallsother figurespainted by FransHals between Examinationoften revealsthat the initial painted c.r6z5-3o.s8 sketchhas been revised during subsequentstages in the painting procedure.Such adjustments are often Paint Application made to costumedetails, such as the sizeor form of One remarkablefeature of the paintings collarsand cuffs(cats.3, 9, lo, 13,r4), substitutionof examinedis the diversityof their paint application the girl's kerchieffor a ruff in Childrenwith a Cat (regardlessof the materiaiof the paintingsupport), and an Eel(cat.g), or shorteningof the blue jacket which doesnot permit a singleencompassing in A Gameof Tric-Trac(cat.g). Another detail descriptionof Leyster'scharacteristic method. frequentlymodified is the placementof handsor Leyster'sSelf-Portrait (cat.7) displays an arrayof fingers(cats.z, g,:r3,Ld wherethe gestureofplaying rounded,tapering, and splayedbrushes suitable for a musicalinstrument may be refined(cats.3, 5, ro manipulatingpaint in variousways. In the back- and fig.43u,N). ground and costumeof lolly Toper(canvas, cat.z), Examinationsalso reveal changes made to the stiff and opaquepaint mixtures havebeen spread placementor poseof figures,notably in Merry usingbold zig-zagandstraight strokes, applied wet- Companyandtn Childrenwith a Cat and an Eel in-wet (seefig.43s). Also dated t629,Serenade (panel, (cats.5,13;fr9.44. These two paintingsshow a cat.r)similarly shorvs opaque and viscouspaint spontaneousprocedure whereby the composition appliedto the fleshareas using succinct touches wasworked out during the act of painting rather (seefig.43u). These two paintingscontrast with the than through a preliminary study.Two alternative generaliythinner applicationof paint in Merry indicationsfor a higherposition for the cat in Company(canvas, cat.5), and the signedChildren Children with a Cat and an Eel suggestthat Leyster with a Cat and an EeI(panel, cat.r3). In this lastcase, changedher mind more than once;the right the thin applicationof paint over a sketchilybrushed shoulderand eyeofthe boy holding the cat have brown underlayeris exploitedto provide the so- alsobeen lowered. The legsand feetofthe revelers calledturbid medium effect,whereby a light color in Merry Companyhavebeen slightly repositioned Iaid over a dark one appearscooler because ofthe and the poseof the centralfigure seemsto havebeen scatteringofthe blue light and the absorptionofred resolvedat a latestage with partsadded over the and yellow light. Increasedtransparency ofthiniy background.s6 appliedlight paint areashas caused the brown Microscopicexamination of Leyster'sSef underlayerto becomemore apparentin the animals Portrait (cat.7and fig.+:o) confirms the presenceof and costumes. a faceunderlying the presentpainting of a fiddler LaughingYouthwithaWine Glass(cat.38) shows to the right of the main figure and providesfurther an exceptionalpaint applicationin the exaggerated evidencefor the sequenceofunderlying paint reliefofstiffbrushstrokesapplied in light paint areas layers.57 (seefig.43v). Microscopic examination reveals a Finaliy,this examinationuncovered two pitted structureof the paint, which might suggest unsuspectedpentimenti in TheRommel-Pot Player useof an emulsionpaint mixture to achievethis (seethe essayby Levy-vanHalm in the present effect.sePaint hasalso been thickly appliedin the catalogueand cat.4o).First, microscopic grayand yellow costumeof StandingCavalier (cat. examinationsuggests that the laughingboy in a fur 4r), in contrastto the thinly brushedbackground. hat initially wore a floppy red hat, modeledwith The differentgray shades of the costumehave been brownish shadows.A paint sampleconfirmed that achievedusing various opaque mixtures of gray this first hat waspainted usingvermilion mixed with paint. This techniquediffers from the juxtapositron a little black and wasstill wet when the fur hat was of alternatingtranslucent and opaquetouches of painted on top(seefig.+ln, q). Second,infrared paint, exploitingthe turbid medium effectto

LEYSTER: IUDITH A TECHNICAL EXAMINATION OF HER WORK 105

PAINTINGS IN THE LABORATORY: Scientific Examination for Art History and Conservation 215 provide a rich variety of cool to warm grays,which painting supports.Presumably the wood panels one usuallyobserves in the costurnesof FransHals.60 relateto the smallestqpes listedin seventeenth- In the paintingsexamined, Leyster shows a rather centuryinventories, but a selectsurvey suggested refinedtreatment of contours.Contours areformed that they could not be characterizedbya systemof whereadjacent paint areaseither just meetor do not standardproportions, as one might expect.Possibly quite meet,with a subtleaccent occasionally added the sizesof the smallestpanels, each of which is alongthe boundary (seefig.43x). She appears not to madefrom a singleplank, weregoverned by the size havebeen influenced by the bold and jaggedcontour of plankssupplied by the sawmill ratherthan by the linesthat alreadyappear in Hals'sgenre portraits of standardof a predeterminedsize. Leyster followed the later6zos, which would becomeespecially typical common practicein usinglightweight canvas for her ofhis iater portraits.Infrared reflectographyand largerpaintings, although these, too, weremodest in other methodsof examinationreveal that these scale. contourswere built up using a seriesof touches With one exception(LaughingYouth with a appliedin successivepaint layers.6rThis difference Wine Glass,cat.38), the color and compositionof in techniqueneed not refutethe suggestionthat the priming layersexamined match thosegenerally Leystertrained in the studio of Hals around 1629. found in paintingsattributed to FransHals. Use of Survivingpupils' contractsspecif, only the most fleshcolored grounds appiied to canvasand the generaiobligations regarding what the masterwould introduction of oil groundson wood paneldiffer be expectedto teachthe pupil of his method.How from the methodsof priming encounteredin closelythe pupil assimilatedthe master'stechnique Amsterdamduring this period and appearto be a must havevaried in eachcase according to the specificallyHaarlem practice. Possibiy Leyster and status,inclination, and ability of the pupil (seethe Hals obtainedtheir primed painting supportsfrom essayby Lely-van Halm in the presentcatalogue).62 the samesource in Haarlem.Yet severallarger Examinationof Violinist(cat.4z), attributed to paintingson panelby both artistsshow the the circleof FransHais, reveals a detailedtreatment traditional method of priming, with an oil ofthe contours.The bold blackishcontour around imprimatura over a chalkground. Togetherwith the undersideof the violinist'sleft hand, aswell as other differences,such as the textureofpaint the finer contoursbetween the fingers,show a application,the unusualground structureobserved delicatehatched structure (see fig.43v). Some of the in LaughingYouth with a Wine Glasscould provide contourlines appear to havebeen swept across with evidenceto associatethis painting with the Utrecht a brush while they werestill wet, in order to achieve School. 14 this effect.More obvioushatched brushwork can Like FransHals, Leyster seems to haveset to X rav of Cltildreu with a Cnt be found in paintingsby Hals dating from the late work without detailedpreliminary studies,sketching and an Eel (cat.g). The rvood support comprises two vertical r6zos.63Other featuresof paint applicationrecall the the composition directlyon the primed supportwith planks. Sapwood portions of techniqueof FransHals, such as the juxtaposition of the brush and revisingit throughout subsequent the planks are ioined aiong the red lakeaccents, sometimes over dark contours,and stagesof painting.Two paintingsin particularshorv inside. shorving past woodworm altack. A cradle, applied the highlightsin the fleshwhich are drawn by the this spontaneousapproach; A Gameof Tric-Trac to the reverseat a later date, impastoedges of fluid brush strokes. (cat.9)and Childrenwith a Catand an Eel(cat.r3). appearsas a grid. fhe x-rav also shows a nunber More major pentimenti wereconfirm ed in of Self- pentimenti occuring in areas Summary Portrait (cat.7),and discovered in TheRommel-Pot with lead white paint. In this first attempt to describethe painting Player(cat.4o), no longerthought to be by Leyster techniqueof Judith Leysterbased on detailed but by anotherartist working in the circleof Frans technicalanalysis, six signedworks provide Hals.Pentimenti sometimes explain a deviation important points of reference,and severalpaintings fron-rwhat appearsto havebeen Leyster's typical of more problematicattribution werealso examined, practiceof finishingbackground elements before Despitethe variedstyles of the paintingsexamined, foregroundelements. The separateexecution of it waspossible to observecommon technical headsand bodiesobserved in a number of alleged features,some associated with generalseventeenth- portraitsmay indicatea paintingprocedure centuryDutch painting practice,others with a dependentupon the availabilityofa portrait sitter. specificHaarlem traditiot.r, and othersparticular to The moods of Leyster'sgenre scenes and Leyster. portraitsare partly setby variedcharacter ofthe First,Leyster shows a frequentuse of wood backgrounds,tlpically appliedin two paint layers. panel,the traditional naterial, for her smallest Ur.rderpaintplays a particularlyimportant role in

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PAINTINGS IN THE LABORATORY: Scientific Examination for Art History and Conservation 218 C. D E Paintcrosssectionfrom thc grftn Paintcrosssectionofa darkgray Detail ofthe red feather in the cap Paint crosssectionofa darkred strand Paint crosssection ofa red stripe in ihc Ia ndscape in Srondirg Cavalier Lc^r.4\) shadowin theboy's jacket along the of lolly Toper(cat.z). Strands of the of the featherin,loil.l, Ioper (cat.:). shadow areaofthecostume along rhe Magnification 5oox.La,vers: l) ground bottom edgein TlsRonmel-Pot Player featherare drawn using alternative Magnification zoox. Layers:r) ground bottom edgein Tre /ester(car.39). containing leadwhite and brorvn (cat.40),Magnification Joox. Lay€rs:r) s!rokesof opaquevermillion 6nd containing leadwhjte and veaylirtle Magnification 2oox. Layers:r) ground ocher; z) fineiyground azuriie mixed ground containing leadwhite, carbon transparentorganic red lake paiot. ocher;2) organic red pigment miled containinglead white and verylitde with leadwhire,brown, a litil€ red black,and a littlebrown and red ocher; Seefig.+3o. with black;3) organic red pigment and ocheror umber;2)boneblack, a little ocher, and verl, little black. 2) thin transluc€ntbrownlayer:3) vermillion (lessvermillion toward th€ vermillion and brown ocher; (A varnish layeron rop can hardly anifi cial greenish-bluecopper pigment toP)' 3) vermillion. be disting!ished in the photog.aph.) {rounded crystals)mixed with lead white, leadtin (?) yellow, and a little red ocher;4) thin layerofoverpaint with fine blackpigmenti 5) modern varnlsh.

F G H I t Detatlof the rttf in Pofrait of a Detail ofthe collarand cap in Sef- Detail oftheviolinisas legin Merry Detail of the earof.folly Toper(cat.2J Detaiiofthe woman'scapeinAGafre Wo#an (cat.r4)showing a calculated Porfrdir (cat.7).Pink underpaint covers Company(cat.5J. The leg wasfi Iled into overlappedby the top paint layerof the of Tric-Trac (cat.9).Two red ribbons procedureof execu!jon.The lightpart the whirish ground and showsthrough an arearesewed in thelight gray back- background.The figure waslargely were largelycoveredbywhite paint waslaid inatan earl,vstage using rvhite thetranslucenl paint ofthe collarand ground, which it overlapsaround the finished beforethebackground in this when Leysterrevised the position of underpaintapplied directly on the lighl cap to provide a waam middle tone, in ou$loe- painting (contrastfi 9.43H). her right sleeve. ground. The shadowpart wasadd€d contrast to thecool highlightsand later,painted thinlyover the dark shadorvs(mixed with bluepigment) background. detailedon top.

L M N o DetaiJofa cuffin Sereaade(cat.r). Detai\ of Portroit of a Woman (cat-t4). Detail ofSerenade(cat.3) showing a Detail ofa pentimento in Merl Detail ofa pentimento in Self-Portroit Thecuffhas beenextended to meet the Strokesof paint addedacross the neck pentimento ofrhe lure player'slittle Company (cat.5);the vjolinist's liltle (cat.z).Tle lips.ofan underlying face, seParatelyexecutedhand. A shorter seile to draw togerherthe separately finger, which hasbeen shifted to the fingerwas initially extendedand the exmuted usingred lake glazesapplied cuffwas 6rst indicatedusing thick executedhead and body, and thecollar right. bowheld higher. over light underpaint, are cleariyvisibie strokesof light underpaint. hasbeen slightlyext€nded where the in the paintingofa fiddler.

P a R S T Derailofa pentimentoin rhefurhat in Paint crosssection ofthe fur hat, Detail ofa pentimento in the facesin Detail ofzig-zag strokesused to spread Detail ofthe nouth in,lolt, Toper (cat.4o). jn TheRonxnel-Pat Playet The revealinga bright red paint layer of the doorway Ti?eRo mmel-Pot Player stiffpain( in the costumeof loUToper (cat.2).Abrasion revealsthat ihe lips brightred contourofao underlying an underlying hat, in Tre Rommel-Pot (cat.4o).The two facesin the right {cat.2j. are thinlypainted on top ofthe flesh. jsvisible floppy hat around the lower Player(cat.4o). Magnification 5oox. dooruay originallyrurned to their left FIeshpaint is appliedas an opaqu€ leftside ofthe presentfur ha( (conrpare [.ayers:r) ground containing lead whire (conrparefigs.45 and 4oa)- Iayer. fi g.4or and seealso fig.+3o). and a lirtle finebrown ocher or umber; 2) possiblyvermillion mixed wirh a little black; 3) brown mixture of bone (?)black and a littJevermillionand Iead whte.

U w x Y Microphotographolthe mouth in Detailofthe mouth in LaughingYouth Detail of mouth in Violirir (cat.4l) Detailof IollyToper(cat z). A fine, lighr Microphotoofa hatchedcontour Sercrdde(cat.r).Srifl Faint is rhickly with aWine Glass(cat.)7).Light areas showing a more fluid and rhinner contour is formed where the gray painl betweenthe fingersof YiofiniJl trppliedusing succincttouches. of fl eshpaint shorvscratchy brushwork. applicationof paiit. Blue(azurite) ofthe backgrounddoes not quite (cat.42).Wet painlhasbeen swept The lipsare thinly paintedon top. pjgment is mix€d into the cool accents extend to the figure. acrosswith thebrush to achievethis around the mouth (seealso fig-+er). efect.

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PAINTINGS IN THE LABORATORY: Scientific Examination for Art History and Conservation 217 JUI)I1'H LEYS]'IiR: .{'f ECHNICAL EXAMINATION OI] FIER WORK 109

PAINTINGS IN THE LABORATORY: Scientific Examination for Art History and Conservation 219 achievingthe dramaticlighting effectsof her nocturnalscenes. In Man OfferingMoney to a Notes (cat.8),drama is alsoprovided by YoungWoman A few technical photos ofindividual works have been published. the stronglyasymmetrical composition, which our Hofrichter r989, plates 54-58,and Maclaren and Brown r99r, examinationsuggests was constructed with the aid plate 48. We are grateful to the following institutions and collectors who ofperspectivelines scratched into the ground layer. have kindly allowed us to examine their paintings and who have Leyster'spaintings show a more consistentstage of assistedus in our research:Rijksmuseum, Amsterdami Art underpaintingthan do thoseof FransHals, not only Institute ofChicago; Mauritshuis, The Hague; StaatlicheKunst- halle, Karlsruhe; The National Gallery, London; and Collection in the backgrounds,but alsoin the costumesand ofHer Majesty Queen Elizabeth rr, Buckingham Palace,London; fleshareas. The degreeof modelingin the appearance Noortman Bv, Maastricht; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Philadelphia Museum of An; Virginia Museum of Fine An. in the underpaint stageappears to offlesh suggested Richmond: National Gallerv of Art and the Wallace and vary in differentpaintings. Wilhelmina Holladay Collection; and the Worcester Art Museur 'Leyster's choiceof pigmentsis in keepingwith Most of the paintings were examined in situ. These circumstancer limited examinatron of Concert (cat.ro) to scrutiny with the nake< thoseusually found in seventeenth-centuryDutch eye. Other paintings were also examined with a stereomicroscope paintings.Some brightly coloredcostumes are using magnifications up to 4ox. Select photographs were made repeated,with certainpigments always being used to record obseruations. Eisting x-rays and infrared and other technical photos and information were kindly made available to for the samecolor. Typicaily,indigo appearsin the w.X-rays of Jolly Toper (cat.z) and Portrait of a Woman (cat:4) blue costumes,in spiteof the fact that its usewas were made by the R6ntgen Technische Dienst, Rotterdam. We were able to scan three paintings (The Rommel-Pot Player, cat.4o; not recommendeddue to its tendencyto fade.Two Violinist, cat-42; A Game ofTric-Trac, cat.9) using an infrared paintingsof problematicattribution showunusual vidicon camera. In almost every casethe owners ofthe paintings mkture of blue pigment to provide'cool'fleshtones, granted permission to remove one or more tiny paint samples (about o.u5 pm'?) from the edges ofthe painting or existing ratherthan by the exploitationofa grayunderlayer damages, so that we might gain further insight into the observedin paintingsby Leyster. composition and buildup ofpaint layers.Cross sectionswere made by embedding each paint sample in a block ofpolyester On the basisof our current study,it is not resin. The block was ground down and polished to expose the possibieto draw any firm conclusionsas to whether sample at one surface. The cross sections were then examined or not Leysterapprenticed with FransHals. Our under a Leitz microscope in normal and long wavelength ultra- violet incident light. Remains of the sample material were used fo: research,which hasrevealed both similaritiesand microscopic examination in polarized light and for microchemica differencesbetween their painting technique,is an tests. Elements pres€nt in very small selected areas ofthe samples important stepin understandingthe influenceof were further identified using the scanning electron microscope with energy dispersivex-ray analysis(sau-Enx), carried out by Hals on his contemporaries.This first technical nsv Research. examinationof Leyster'spaintings does not give A false Frans Hals monogram, executed with a warm brown giaze, is visible both with the naked eye and with the microscope in all the answersto the many questionsregarding Violinist (cat.4z). It is located in the background, directly below th Leyster'sstudio practices;yet it doesbring us one scroll ofthe violin and above the figure's sleeve. We are grateful to stepfurther in our appreciationof not only her work Carol Sawyer,conseruator ofpaintings at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, for carrying out technical examinations ofthe monograr but Haarlemgenre painting in general. and confirming that it has clearly been added later, over abraided paint layers. The presence ofage cracks suggeststhat the monograr is definitely oid. 3 Groen and Hendriks r989; Hendriks and Lery-van Halm r99r. 4 Christie and Wadum 1992;Houtzager et al. ry67. Statisticalsurey ofpainting supports used by Frans Hals basedor oeuvre attributed in Sliver97o-74 cat.nos.6z-1o8,dated c.r6z8-3o and c.r635-38.Thirty-three ofthe paintings are on canvasand one on copper. The suruiving works ofcontemporary painters active over a longer period, including Frans Hals and Rembrandt, show an increasing use ofcanvas in place ofwood panel. SeeGroen and Hendriks i989-9o, p.122,n.9, and Van de Wetering 1986,p.15, n.r. In the Netherlands, the use ofcanvas did not supersedethat ofwood panel to the same extent as in Itaiy. SeeMiedema and Meijer r979, p.82. The dimensions of CarousingCouple are those listed in Hofrichter r989, p.46. Miedema r981,p.33, notes an approximate transitional format ofTo x 55 cm in the substitution ofcanvas for panel for paintings attributed to Rembrandt. Groen and Hendriks r989, p.1o9,note an approximate transitional format of 60 x 5o cm for paintings attributed to Frans Hals. Vasari mentions that an advantageofcanvas is that it is'oflittle weight and, when rolled up, easyto transpofi' (see Vasari on Technique,ed. G. B. Brown r9o7, Dover Publications, New York 1960,p.236). Mention ofLeyster in the context ofthe De Grebbers

PAINTINGS IN THE LABORATORY: Scientific Examination for Art History and Conservation 220 i:fL::, ,l:ltl i. *r:i, ,?:j:

Infrareddetail of Pentimento in TheRommel-Pot PlaYer (cat.4o).Dark painted lines of underdrawingreveal that two facesin the right doorwaY originallyturned in the oppositedirection around the doorpost.

WORK IUDITH LEYSTER: A TECHNiCAL EXAMINATION OF HER

PAINTINGS IN THE LABORATORY: Scientific Examination for Art History and Conservation 221 (seethe essaysby Broersen and Biesboerin the present catalogue) the right and bottom sides.There are margins ofdamage along has led to the suggestion that Leysterapprenticed with them until the sidesofthe reduced painting. A closecopy ofthe painting about 1628,although she never adopted their practice of painting shows the uncropped composition; cat.9A in Hofrichter r989, on a large scale.For large canvassupports listed in Jan Miense The National'I rust, Goodwood House, Chichester. Molenaer's eifects,see Hofrichter r989, p.98, entries 253and 256. zo Van de Wetering 1986,pp.18-19. Hendriks and Lery-van Halm r99r, 9 Hofrichter 1989,p.5o incorrectly lists the dimensions of A Game of pp.5-6. For sourcesconcerning the linen industry, see:l. Bastin, Tric-Trac (cat.g) as 62.2x 40.6 cm. Hofrichter 1989,p.64 appears to De Gentselijnwaadmarkt en linnenhandel in de zeventiende eeuw have misinterpreted the overpainted later additions in Children (rq68); l. A. Boot'Het linnenbedrijfin Twente omstreeks r7oo,' with a Cat and an Eel (cat.g) as a painted trompe I'oeil effect of a Textielhistorische Bijdragen 7 fi966), pp.zr-64; G.A.H. (Municipal window or door frame behind the two children. The later additions Archive, Haarlem), Keuren en Ordonnantidn d.erStad Haarlem rcr around this painting and around Serenade(cats) are excluded t775,vol. z, pp.zot-75;and S.A.G. (Municipal Archive, Ghent), from the listed measuremenu. Ordonnance et reglement concernent le Marchd aux toiles de Ia ville ro The wooden support of Man Offering Money to aYotLngWotnan de Ganele(fio6). (cat.8) has been thinned for application ofa cradle,applied in zr Van de Wetering 1986,p.19. r9r5 and since rernoved. This treatment removed all tracesofthe 22 We are graleful to Mark Tucker, who carried out recent restoration original beveled edges(to facilitate framing), on the reverse. of The LastDrop (cat.6), for confirming and supplementing Microscopic examination suggests,howeyer, that the top and observationsmade during our technical examination ofthe bottom edgesofthe panel are intact. Paint and ground layers painting before the cleaning.The treatment was at an early stage rvhich ran over the edgesofthe panel during execution ofthe at the time ofwriting this article, when no clear evidencehad yet painting are still preseruedalong the bottom edgeand in one place come to light to refute the possibility that the very early additions along the top edge. On the other hand, paint and ground layers are could be by Leyster despite the fact that no other examples of chipped offalong the right and left edgesofthe painting. tudging original format alterations in her work are known. from the completenessofthe compositiot1 however, theseare only One curious feature ofthe added strips ofcanvas is their manner slightly reduced. ofattachment. Contfary to what one might expect,the x-ray does Examination of Portrait of a Woman (catt4), suggeststhat the not show that they have not been sewn on, but their frayed edges bottom edge ofthe panel is intact. A margin oforiginal beveling, simply abut the edgesofthe main canvas. rqhich measuresr.5-4.o cm and tapers towards the left side, is The copy ofthe composition in its extended form mentioned is preserued along the bottom. In addition, microscopic examination cat.no.roa in Hofrichter r989, canvas93 x 69 cm, Kunsthandel suggeststhat paint and ground layersrun over the right side ofthe P. de Boer, Amsterdam. bottom edge. On the other hand, paint and ground layersare z3 Most ofthe thread densitieswere measured from availablex,rays, chipped offalong the other three sides,which have been reduced. in which the canvasweave is made visible by the x-ray absorbing Remains oforiginal beveling, up to o.5 cnl in width, are present properties ofthe lead white basedground layers.The results listed along the top stde,suggesting that up to J.5 cm could have been here are the averageofseveral measurementsmade in both removed. Beveling is absent along the right and Ieft sides, directions. Where no x-rays were available, measuiements were suggestingthat these are each reduced as much as 4 cm. made directly on three paintings; LaughingYouth with a Wine Examination ofthe panel support of Children with a Cat and an Glass, The Jester,and Violinist (cats39,39, 42). In these casesthe Eel (cat.q) was hindered by a cradle applied to the reverseside measurements are less reliable, due to the fact that they were and later additions around the edges.Nonetheless, it appearsthat limited to small areasof damage where the canvaswas exposed. original beveling has been removed along the top and bottom sides This enabled fewer measurements,over shorter distances,to be ofthe panel, suggestingthat theseare reduced. As all four sidesof made in each painting. The thread density listed for The Last Drop the painting are slightly extended by later additions, it seemslikely (cat.6) is that ofthe main canvas. that the right and left sideshave also been cropped. The present z4 Other surveyshave been unable to conclude a consistent relation- rvidth ofthe two vertical planks joined together is 23.5cm and ship between the width and thread densitiesofcanvas supports 2.1.8cm, from left to right. exanrined.See Houtzager et al. ry67, p.62. For paintings on canvas 11 Bruyn r979; Miedema r98r. attributed to Frans Hals, seeGroen and Hendriks 1989,p.112 and I2 Flofrichter r989, p.97, entry 222. Hendriks and Lery-van Halm r99r, p.8. Hendriks and Lery-van 13 The dinrensions of Carousing Couple(cat.4) plotted are those Halm nade the generalobseruation that the widest canvasesused Iisted in Hofrichter r989, since we did not examine this painting. by Frans Hals show a relatively fine, though not necessarilyregular Miedema, r981,notes a generalheight to width proportional weave.Six small canvases,which measureone Brabant el lvide or relationship ofr.z5:r in north Netherlandish upright rectangular lessare most coarseiywoven, with twelve threads or feurerper cm. paintings ofthe sixteenth and seventeenthcenturies. In a broad 2j Houtzager et al. ry67, pp.zz6, zz8, z4z, and z44lists thread densities statistical suruey ofpaintings on wood panel attributed to ofcanvasesused by the Utrecht painters Hendrick ter Brugghen Rembrandt, four groupings ofstandard panel sizesemerged. and Gerard van Honthorst. In Groen and Hendriks 1989,p.1o9, a survey offorty upright 26 For studiesof canvasthread densitiesused by the workshops of rectangular paintings on wood panel attributed to Frans Hals did Rembrandt and Frans Hals, seerespectively Van de Wetering r986, not reveal any groupings ofstandard sizes,but did agreewith a pp.3r-37and a smaller suruey in Groen and Hendriks 1989,p.rt3. general height-width proportional relationship of r.z5:t observed De Mayerne givesseveral recipes which suggestsmoothing the by Miedema. priming layer using a curved priming knife or pumice stone; see 4 Bauchand Fckitein lg8r, especiallypp.:53 arrd zs5.A dendro- Van de Graaft958, pp.138-42,nos.6-20. chronological suruey ofpaintings on wood panel by Rembrandt z7 An x-ray of The Last Drop (cat.6) shows thickenings of the ground shows that the smallest planks were cut from inner heartwood, layer along the top, left and bottom sidesofthe main canvas,which in orc'lerto use valuable tinrber efficiently. would have accumulated along the rolled stretching edgeswhen l5 Bruyn r979. the ground layer was applied. The original stretching edgeshave r6 Bruyn ry/-9, pp.io6-o7- Seen.ro above, regarding a possibie been unrolled and trimmed offclose to the painted area,slightly reduction in sizeof Children with a Cat and an Eel (cat.r:). further in along the right side where no ridge ofground is 17 Brtyn ry79,p.r. apparent. Concerning preparation ofcanvas support seeVan de r8 Klein et al. r987. Wetering 1986,pp.3r-37; Groen and Hendriks r989-9o, p.rr3. r9 Hofrichter r989, p.4r, lists larger dimensions for Merry Compuny z8 Van de Graafr958, p.r35,nos.r and z. (cat.5) of 88 x73.j cm. This was the sizeof the painting with later :9 Van de Craaf r958,p.tJ8, no.a. additions, which were removed during its restoration in r987. Jo Groen and Hendriks 1989,p.u5. Before restoration the painting natched the present format of 7he 3r Groen ry77.Yan de Wetering r986rpp.17-20. Last Drop (cat.6). The original canvassupport of Merry Company jz Christie and Wadum 1992. (cat.5) has been cut on all sides,removing cusping, especialiyalong 33 Frans Hals's large pendant portraits Cornelia Claesdr Vooght

PAINTINGS IN THE LABORATORY: Scientific Examination for Art History and Conservation 222 (cat.zz) and Nico laesvan der Meer (seefig.zza), painted on wood containing lead white and fine black, also underlies the shadow of panels which measurer26.5 x ror.o cm and 128.0x roo.5 cm the man on the Ieft side. respectively,have the traditionai priming of an oil imprimatura 4Z Paint samplesshow that the gray paint mixtures ofthe background on a chalk ground. SeeGroen and Hendriks 1989,pp.u5 and rz4. and clothing both chiefly contain lead white and black (lanp Leyster's Children with a Cat and an Eel (cat.r3), painted on a wood black?),mixed with umber in the costume and very little fine red panel which now measuresup to 59.5cm x 48.7cm, sirnilarly shows pigment in the background. the traditional priming. 48 Pitted paint lossesare most extensivein the upper background, J4 For Leiden document, seeVan de Wetering 1986,pp.19-2o. excluding two margins along the top ofthe right and left sides. Concerning Haarlem practice,see Groen and Hendriks 1989,p.u6. The fact that paint areascontaining lead white are most damaged J5 Most (ifnot all) grounds on canvasanalyzed from the first ten suggeststhe action of an acid substanceperhaps applied during years oIRembrandt's activity in Amsterdam, show two layers;a earlier restoration treatment. Ifexcessiveheat was the cause,one gray over a red ocher ground. SeeVan de Wetering 1986,p.42. would expect dark paint areasto show most damage. In any event, Ground layerscontaining a little ocher and up to 8o percent quartz the numerous tiny paint lossesallow an unusually complete have been found in some canvasesfrom the 164osonwards. See picture ofthe stageofunderpainting in flesh areas.An x-ray of Kiihn r96z and Bomford et al. 1988,pp.27-3r. the painting suggeststhat a more bulbous facewas indicated in the i6 Use of an aqueous binding medium for the first red ocher ground rndern2int ct2oP in LaughingYouth with aWine Glassis suggestedby its porous 49 Microscopic examination suggesteduse of indigo in the blue structure apparent in the paint sample crosssection. K. Groen costumes in Serenade(cat.t), Merry Company (cat.), The Last has examined paint sample crosssections from paintings by the Drop (cat.6), and Self-Portrait (cat.7). Indigo has been identified by Utrecht painters Adriaen Bloemaert, Gerard van Honthorst, and analysis in paint samples in Jolly Toper (cat.2), Man Offiring Money Hendrick ter Brugghen all ofwhich showed double, gray-over-red to a Young Woman (cat.8 ), A Game of Tric-Trac (cat.g), Children grounds. with a Cat and an Eel (cat.r3), The Rommel-Pot Player (ca't.4o), and j7 Meagre Compafll (Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam) was commissioned Violinist (cat.4z). from Hals in 1633,but in 1636when he had not yet finished it, it was 5o Indigo has been identified in: Haarlem Civic Guard group portratts given to Pieter Codde for completion. The large canvas support is by Frans Hals (seeVan Grevenstein et aI.1990, pp.9z-93 and Groen prepared with a grayon top ofa reddish brown ocher ground; see and Hendriks r989,p.rt7), Offcers ofthe St. Adrian Civic Guard. at Bijl r989, p.to4. Seen.35 above, concerning use ofsimilar double Haarlein,l6jo, attributed to Hendrick Pot (M. M. Bang r99t, grounds by Rembrandt. Two late genre portraits by Frans Hals also restoration report in Frans Halsmuseum) and Jan Miense have a cool gray over a red ocher double ground, Man in a SIotLch Molenaer's Touch (cat36; seeChristie and Wadum r99z). Indigo Hat (Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, Kassel)and Porrrait of a Mqn also appearsto have been used by JohannesCornelis Verspronck (Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge); seeGroen and Hendriks, t989, in the tablecloths ofhis Regentessesof St. Elkabeth's Hospital at pp.115-116.One might suggestthat theseprimed canvaseswere Haarlem,r64r and his Regentexesof the House of the Holy Ghost similarly obtained in Amsterdam. A document of 1676records that at Haarlem,t64z, Frans Halsmuseum. For De Mayerne's advrce following the death ofone authorized supplier, painters in Leiden against the use ofindigo, seeVan de Graafrgj8, p.44. were obliged, at great trouble and expense, to go and buy their 5i Artificial copper green has been identified in severalpaintings by primed canvases and panels in another city. SeeVan de Wetering Frans Hals, including a Haarlem Civic Guard group portrait and 1986,p.20. the late Regent and Regentess group portraits. See Groen and J8 Groen and Hendriks r989, pp.u6-u7. Hendriks 1989, p.119.Another tnre of blue prgment called smalt 39 Valentiner and Von Moltke 1939,p.182, private collection, London, (glass colored by cobalt oxide) was found together with lead white wood panel, 44.2 x 5r.8cm- For past attributions ofthe painting to in the slcyof Sranding Cavalier. Avery fine (approximately ro pm lan Miense Molenaer and to Leyster, see cat.28. Examination with particles) and therefore pale variety has been used. a stereomicroscope and with an infrared vidicon suggeststhat the 52 Microscopic examination suggeststhat the bright vermilion and composition has been thinly laid in using areasof monochrome yellow stripes in the jester's costume are thinly painted on top of underpaint rather than boldly sketched using painted lines. whitish and pink strokes ofunderpaint. Notably, pentimenti revealthat the vesselheld by the woman and 5J Our microscopic examination of The Last Dropltefore restoration an adjacent chair back were initially laid in using dark gray paint. revealed that the figure contours were overlapped by green back- 4o Arbitrary scratchesand indentations made in the primed supports ground paint. During cleaning,Mark Tucker noted that this green of The Rommel-Pot Player (cat.4o),Leyster's Game ofTric-Trac paint, associated with reworking the additions around the edges (cat.9), and Molenaer's Touch (cat.36)appear to be accidental 'extends in a thin layer well into the picture, worked in around the damages which occurred before the main paint layers were applied. figures.' Flaking losses revealed a cooler gray underlayer. 4r Hofrichter 1989,pp.8Z-1o3. For a definition of terms, seeDe Pauw- 54 The blue undergarment ofthe figure with a wine tankard in lhe de Y een 969, pp.z5t- 254. Last Drop (cat.6) was finished after his red jacket and white collar, 42 Surface examination occasionallyreveals that one layer ofpaint which it overlaps.The gray color ofthe lute player's undergarment was allowed to dry before another was applied on top, indicating in Concert(cat.rc) was applied last, covering a bright blue under- a break in the painting procedure. For example, hairs drawn by layer (apparently indigo) and two ribbons hanging from his lace- scratching into wet paint reveal an intact and therefore presumably trimmed collar. dry layer of underpaint (Merry Company, cat.5), or haks scratched 55 Constantijn Huygens, Mijn Jeugd, translation and commentary into a layer ofunderpaint which was allowed to dry were left by C. L. Heesakkers, 1987.Huygens (1j96-1687) wrote about his undisturbed when details were painted on top (The Rommel-Pot meeting with Jan Lievens in an autobiographical sketch ofhis own Player, cat.4o, and Standing Cavalier, cat.4t). Separate stages of youth around 1629.A similarly idiosyncratic sequenceofpainting paint application can also be distinguished in paint sample cross has been obseruedin portraits attributed to Frans Hals, seeGroen sections.A clear separation oflayers is usually apparent when one and Hendriks r989, p.u9. layer was allowed to dry before another was applied on top. This is 56 A study ofthe overlap ofpaint layerssuggests that the red not the case when one paint layer was applied over another that costumed figure in front was already finished when parts ofthe was still wet. central figure were added. A bright red layer under the shoulders 4j ln Merry Companl black underpaint for a shadow ofthe table out- ofthe central figule, which runs under the background up to the lined a reseruefor the calfofthe adjacent figure in an alternatrve figure in red costume, similarly suggestsa pentimento. Finally, position. The shadow was subsequentlypainted out by the yellow white and red contour lines covered by the floor drew his leg in floor. another position. The yellow paint ofthe floor also conceals 44 The pigments identified in the background are yellow and brour changesin position of the two feet in the middle of the ocher, bone black, and lead white. composition. 45 Groen and Hendriks 1989,p.rzo. 57 The features ofthe face underneath the painted figure ofthe fiddler 46 A paint sample shows that a thin layer ofgray underpaint, are clearly visible through his costume, especially the mouth,

JUDITH LEYSTER: A TECHNICAL EXAMINATION OF HER WORK 113

PAINTINGS IN THE LABORATORY: Scientific Examination for Art History and Conservation 223 which is painted using a red lake glazeapplied over a light yellou'ishunderlayer. Flaking losses reveal two paint layerson the ground, under the presentpainting ofa fiddler. First, a light blue paint layer,which apparentlycontains indigo, extendsbetween the legsofthe fiddler's indigo costume.On top is a red layer,which continuesunder the artist'spalette and terminatesalong a white impastoline under the fiddler's right thigh. This marksa transition to a grayunderlayer, also present under the top part ofthe painted canvas. 58 For bther verstonsol TheRommel-Pot Player,see Slive ry7o-7 4, cat.L3-1and Slive1989-9o, cat.8. For paintingsdepicting a boy in a fur hat attributed to FransHals, see Slive 1989-9o, cat.z6. 59 Groen i988,especia$ pp.59-6r.Research suggests that the formation ofpits or holesthroughout the body ofcertain emulsion paint mixturescan be causedby bubblesoftrapped solvenr.An oil paint, in which hydrophilic substancesused for grinding pigments got trapped,could show this samephenomenon. 6o Hendriks and Levy-vanHalm i991,pp.4o-41. 6r Hendriks and Levy-vanHalm r99r, pp.3z-34and 5o. 62 Delager D9o, pp.69-111. 63 Seenotably: Young Man with a Skullc. t6z6-28,ftg.5o.

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PAINTINGS IN THE LABORATORY: Scientific Examination for Art History and Conservation 224