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Course: Special topics in art history > Unit 2
Lesson 5: Painting conservation- Conservation of paintings
- Conservation: portrait miniatures
- Ghent Altarpiece project overview
- Conserving a portrait of King Edward VI
- Jan Gossart - Conservation Discoveries
- Conserving Velázquez's Portrait of Philip IV
- Conserving van Walscapelle's Flowers in a Glass Vase
- Conserving Everhard Jabach and His Family
- Conserving the Virgin of Guadalupe
- Conserving Vincent van Gogh's Field with Irises near Arles
- Conserving Van Gogh's "Enclosed Field with Ploughman" Under Raking Light
- The Science of Van Gogh's Bedrooms
- Restoring Rothko
- Conserving Cuzco School Paintings
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Ghent Altarpiece project overview
The Ghent Altarpiece is a masterpiece of art history, it's a complex, multi-panel artwork. Conservation efforts have revealed surprising details and colors hidden for centuries. The project showcases the importance of preserving our cultural heritage.
Want to join the conversation?
Why is this painting considered "one of the most important surviving artworks in the world"?(3 votes)
Because of who painted it, and because Jan Van Eyck introduced a new naturalism in the depiction of figures, their clothing and accessories as well as in the fauna and foliage in the background of the lower register. The trees, for example, are so detailed as to be botanically distinguishable — cypresses, olives, pomegranate and orange.
In his time, Jan van Eyck was arguably the most famous artist in Europe, says Van Der Velden. "The scale and the ambition of the painting make it perhaps the most important painting of the early Netherlandish art." http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jul/11/entertainment/la-ca-ghent-altarpiece-20100711(5 votes)
Wow, the closed captioning is pretty terrible. It actually says "the hint water peace" instead of "the Ghent Altar Piece" at1:38(3 votes)- Youtube's computer generated captions are notorious for missing things. The computer guesses at what has been said. Khan Academy and Smarthistory need a volunteer to make the corrections. Are you available?(1 vote)
- Why is this painting considered "one of the most important surviving artworks in the world"?(1 vote)
I'm not really qualified to answer this, but I can try. The factors that I think make an "important work" are diverse. Quality obviously counts, and I don't think anyone doubts the quality of the workmanship of this painting - the ability to render textures and the composition and use of color are high. Additionally, its state of preservation is good, which means much can be learned from studying it. That's definitely important. A work of art can gain importance due to rarity value, and since this is old and very large there aren't many similar samples that have survived. A work of art can gain importance by its relation to the world it was created in. This piece was commissioned for a fairly rich cathedral and was designed to be seen and influence a large number of people, which helps make it important too. Its subject matter expresses mainstream religious views and document these. While the painting depicts events that were far back in time, the style of the interiors and the clothing of the persons depicted is largely contemporary with the artist which makes it important as a source. This piece of art is extremely well documented: The artists are known, and the more well known of them is one whose life can be partially pieced together, including travels in Italy which may have had influence on some of the elements incorporated in the painting. Who commissioned it and some information about them have come down. This helps understand the painting in a context *sociological and political) and how styles are spread. Even information about when and who did early restoration work has come down to us. It is also a piece of work that has gained importance as something coveted as well as somethings other wanted to destroy. According to Wikipedia it has survived 7 thefts, 13 crimes. I'm sure there is more to be said!(2 votes)
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