How can a jar of pigment help question a painting's date?
Two paints can look alike while carrying different material histories. A reference collection such as Harvard’s Forbes pigments helps conservators compare what a painting contains with known materials. For dating, the key is not simply finding a surprising pigment: it also matters whether that material belongs to the original paint or a later intervention.
Questions you could explore
- Why would a modern pigment in a retouched patch mean something different from the same pigment throughout an original layer?
Start reading
- Harvard GazetteA wall of color, a window to the past
Harvard’s conservators explain how reference pigments help identify materials and investigate paintings.
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