Saturday, October 23, 2021

Artists Collaborate with Museums to Explore Techniques

A growing number of art museums have teamed up with practicing artists to explore the painting methods of historical painters.  
 

Watercolor expert Mike Chaplin heads outdoors to demonstrate how J.M.W. Turner may have thought about tone (Link to YouTube). Instead of trying to copy a Turner, he paints directly from nature using materials and methods similar to what Turner might have used. Chaplin teamed with the Tate to produce similar videos with line and color.


London's National Gallery examines Titian's technique with commentary from art historians, conservators, and a practicing painter.  (Link to YouTube)


The Victoria and Albert Museum has demonstrated techniques of Renaissance artists (Link to YouTube).

Other museums such as the Yale Art Gallery have hosted illustrated lectures by conservators about painting methods, but it's not quite as engaging as watching someone try to replicate antique methods. It's a difficult gig for the living artist and it requires considerable humility.

Collaborations between artists and museum experts help to bring historical artists to life and make their work more approachable. Are you aware of other museum / artist collaborations? Please share them in the comments.

2 comments:

MacDieter said...

A great source for old techniques is the famous Wolfgang Beltracchi. But no museum will work with him - for obvious reasons!

Maike Josupeit said...

the best series about this was recently in the german tv, a team of experts from netherland did copies of some famous painters. They tried to find out which materials, paints, brushes, surfaces, frames the master used and visited the original places. Here is a link to one film on youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Upb1KcUWtpw&t=43s