Content
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Introduction
The extended loan of Vermeer's 'The Guitar Player' from Kenwood House enabled National Gallery researchers to analyse the painting's materials and closely study the techniques used.
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Methods
Read about the methods used in the project.
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Support and ground
How were Vermeer's canvases prepared prior to painting?
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Infrared examination
What lies beneath? Secrets under the paint surface.
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Vermeer's palette
Explore colour and pigment in Vermeer’s painting.
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Binding medium
Applying pigment to canvas: the use of oils and their effects.
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Paint application
Learn about the techniques employed by Vermeer.
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Secrets of the studio
Magnification and how it reveals hidden clues.
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Ultramarine blanching
Impact of time: changes to the appearance of this blue pigment.
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Fading of pigments
Observe the degradation of these pigments in Vermeer’s paintings.
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Paint defects
Vermeer’s errors: an Old Master’s mistakes?
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Lead and zinc soaps
Discover how the materials used in paintings alter with time.