Two Paintings by Lorenzo Lotto in the National Gallery

Jill Dunkerton, Nicholas Penny and Ashok Roy
Technical Bulletin Volume 19, 1998

Abstract

Versions of The Virgin and Child with Saints, in the National Gallery, London, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, are compared. The London version is more damaged, but it became clear that both had been painted on canvas, though the Boston version has been transferred.

A comparison of the underdrawing makes it clear that Lotto worked on both at the same time, resolving the composition in the Boston version and then reproducing the final version onto the London canvas. The layer structure and materials are identical in both versions, even to the use of a different lake pigment for painting and finishing.

Portrait of a Woman inspired by Lucretia is discussed and compared with the results of X-radiography and infrared photography. These show that the background was originally striped and very colourful; cross-sections confirmed this. Other compositional changes are discussed.

Keywords 

artists' materials, infrared photography, Lorenzo Lotto, painting techniques, radiography

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Two Paintings by Lorenzo Lotto in the National Gallery, Jill Dunkerton, Nicholas Penny and Ashok Roy (PDF 12.21MB)

To cite this article we suggest using

Dunkerton, J., Penny, N., Roy, A. 'Two Paintings by Lorenzo Lotto in the National Gallery'. National Gallery Technical Bulletin Vol 19, pp 52–63.
>http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/technical-bulletin/dunkerton_penny_roy1998

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