‘A Very Curious Series of Paintings’: Marco Ricci’s Paintings on Leather
-
Emma Turner
Abstract
“A very curious series of paintings in tempera on leather… are to be found at Buckingham Palace.” (Blunt 1946, 267).
The 2017 Royal Collection Trust exhibition ‘Canaletto and the Art of Venice’ necessitated the examination and conservation treatment of eight paintings by the artist Marco Ricci (1676–1730). Marco’s artworks were unusually catalogued as ‘tempera on kidskin leather’, however it became apparent that internationally widespread confusion and inconsistency existed in the cataloguing of these artworks, complicating the understanding of these ‘curious’ paintings and the development of a conservation treatment approach. As in-depth material analysis was not possible, multi-collection and art historical research were combined with close observation to better understand the material nature and condition of this unusual group of paintings. The Royal Collection’s group of Marco Ricci paintings on leather is the largest in existence, with all 32 artworks presented in their original frames and it is suggested here that some exist in their original mounted format. This group is therefore the basis of much of the author’s current understanding. Despite presenting a consistent framed visual appearance, the project unearthed surprising variation amongst the Royal Collection works, serving to significantly supplement previous understanding of these paintings.
Zusamenfassung
“Eine sehr merkwürdige Serie von Gemälden in Tempera auf Leder … ist im Buckingham Palace zu finden.” (Blunt 1946, 267).
Die Ausstellung "Canaletto und die Kunst Venedigs" des Royal Collection Trust von 2017 machte die Untersuchung und konservatorische Behandlung von acht Gemälden des Künstlers Marco Ricci (1676–1730) erforderlich. Riccis Kunstwerke waren zu dem Zeitpunkt als "Temperamalerei auf Ziegenleder" katalogisiert. Es stellte sich jedoch heraus, dass bei der Katalogisierung dieser Kunstwerke international weit verbreitete Verwirrung und Inkonsistenz herrschte, was das Verständnis dieser "merkwürdigen" Gemälde und die Entwicklung eines konservatorischen Behandlungsansatzes erschwerte. Da eine eingehende Materialanalyse nicht möglich war, wurden sammlungsübergreifende und kunsthistorische Untersuchungen mit genauer Beobachtung kombiniert, um die materielle Beschaffenheit und den Zustand dieser ungewöhnlichen Gemälde besser zu verstehen. Die Serie von Marco Riccis Gemälden auf Leder der Royal Collection ist die größte, die es gibt. Alle 32 Kunstwerke werden in ihren Originalrahmen präsentiert, und es wird vermutet, dass bei einigen von ihnen sogar die originale Montierung erhalten ist. Trotz des einheitlichen Erscheinungsbildes der gerahmten Gemälde hat das Projekt überraschende Unterschiede zwischen den Werken der Royal Collection zutage gefördert, die das bisherige Wissen über diese Gemälde erheblich erweitern.
Acknowledgment
Great thanks are owed to many people for their support and encouragement throughout this project. Specific mention must go to former colleagues at the Royal Collection Trust: Clara de la Peña Mc Tigue, Rachael Smith, Kate Stone, Puneeta Sharma, Rosie Razzall, David Westwood, Alan Donnithorne, Sarah Laing, Nicola Christie and Martin Gray. David Peggie at The National Gallery, and British Museum colleagues Barbara Wills and Caroline Barry.
Appendix: Materials Table
Materials used in treatment (excludes materials trialled on samples):
| Material | Product name/code | Supplier | Characteristics | Context for use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lascaux 360 HV (*Now produced under the name ‘Lascaux 303 HV’) | Product code: 81000 | Kremer Pigmente | Thermoplastic copolymeric butyl-methacrylate-dispersion, thickened with acrylic ester acid. | Re-moistenable tissue materials for repairing leather support |
| pH 8–9 | ||||
| Film-formation: | ||||
| Minimal film-formation temperature: approx. 0 °C | ||||
| Glass transition temperature: approx. −35 °C | ||||
| Elongation at break: >1000% minimal sealing temperature: approx. 50 °C | ||||
| Dry film: sticky | ||||
| Lascaux 498 HV | Product code: 81002 | Kremer Pigmente | Thermoplastic copolymeric butyl-methacrylate-dispersion, thickened with acrylic ester acid. | Re-moistenable tissue materials for repairing leather support |
| pH 8–9 | ||||
| Film-formation: | ||||
| Minimal film-formation temperature: approx. 5 °C | ||||
| Glass transition temperature: approx. 13 °C | ||||
| Elongation at break: approx. 400% | ||||
| Minimal sealing temperature: 68–76 °C | ||||
| Dry film: hard elastic | ||||
| Winsor and Newton acrylic paint | Galeria acrylic by Winsor and Newton, series 1 | London graphic centre | Transparency: Opaque | Re-moistenable tissue materials for repairing leather support |
| Burnt umber | Series 1 | |||
| Product code: L-7500000119 | Permanence: permanent | |||
| PATosa 002 | Product code: PATOSA0002 | Conservation By Design | 100% Kozo fibre | Re-moistenable tissue materials for repairing leather support |
| Tosa-Kozo paper, 12.2 g/m2 | 12.2 g/m2 | |||
| Traditional Washi paper made by Fujiwara Masuhiko in the tosa area of Japan from the finest quality local Kozo | ||||
| Unbuffered, pH 6.5–7.5 | ||||
| Cooked with caustic soda ash for a smooth finish and sun-dried on wooden boards. | ||||
| Acetone | Product code: 13277983 | Fischer scientific | Purity: >95% | Re-moistenable tissue materials for repairing leather support |
| Technical grade | ||||
| Industrial methylated spirit | Fisher chemical | Fischer scientific | Methylated spirit (IDA 94), | Use in reactivating adhesive of re-moistenable tissue |
| 94% (v/v) | ||||
| Product code: 11462874 | Pure, (industrial methylated spirit, 64 0.P) | |||
| Museum mount board | THCMB 100% COTTON CORE 1650 – MUSEUM CREAM | Conservation By Design | 100% cotton museum board | ‘Padded board’ core |
| Product code: BDTHMC4707C | Laminated with EVA plasticiser-free adhesive | |||
| Museum cream colour | ||||
| Depth: 1650° μm | ||||
| Alkaline buffer | ||||
| Coloured conservation board | ARQADIA Artique board, chestnut colour | Larson Juhl | High-quality alpha cellulose | ‘Padded board’ outer layer |
| Lignin-free | ||||
| Blue wool scale (BWS) minimum | ||||
| Rating 3+ | ||||
| Product code: 64934 | Buffered with calcium carbonate. | |||
| Passes the silver tarnish test and photographic activity test. | ||||
| Laminated with aqueous, neutral pH, PVA | ||||
| Depth: 2800 μm | ||||
| Polyester batting and wadding | Product code: 979-1000 | Preservation Equipment Ltd. | 12 mm loft | ‘Padded board’ core |
| Thermal bonded | ||||
| Resin free | ||||
| Gutermann skala thread | Skala U81 360 | William Gee | Semi-transparent, fine thread | Used in attaching wadding to ‘padded board’ core |
| 100% polyester | ||||
| Undyed | ||||
| Thinnest gauge | ||||
| EVACON R | CXD EVACON R CONSERVATION ADHESIVE, 125G | Conservation By Design | Ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer emulsion | Laminating boards to produce ‘padded board’ |
| Product code: SUEVAR0001 | pH 7.5 | |||
| Non-plasticised | ||||
| Reversible (water soluble) | ||||
| Usumino B6 paper, 28 g/m² | Product code: PAJAPJ2191 | Conservation By Design | Japanese handmade paper | Framing |
| pH 7.1 | ||||
| Wheat starch paste | Japanese shoufu paste, 500 g | Conservation By Design | Double refined wheatstarch | Framing |
| Product code: SUSHFU0001 | Grade of pureness: 92–94% | |||
| pH 6 | ||||
| Aluminium Barrier tape | Lineco pressure sensitive sealing tape | Preservation Equipment Ltd. | Aluminium barrier layer and non-yellowing permanent acrylic adhesive. | Framing |
| Blue/Grey colour | Acid free and lignin free | |||
| Product code: 387–0155 | Meets FACTS standards for preservation framing | |||
| Museum Glass® | Tru-Vue | Wessex pictures | Substrate: clear float glass | Framing |
| Coating: single-sided UV and double-sided anti-reflective | ||||
| Thickness: 2.5 mm/ .098″ | ||||
| Product code: TV MSM | Reflection: <1% (double-sided) | |||
| Transmission: >97% (total) | ||||
| UV block: up to 99% of 300–380 nm UV rays | ||||
| Archival polyester | Archival clear polyester sleeves | Preservation Equipment Ltd. | 75 micron | Framing |
| *Sleeve size trimmed to a bespoke size | Non-yellowing and inert, glass-clear museum standard polyester | |||
| Acid free | ||||
| Perspex® | Clear UV acrylic plastic glass | Wessex pictures | Clear UV acrylic is a plastic which has had UV absorbers added to the polymer at point of manufacturer. | Framing |
| Product code: UVACRYL | UV blocking is performed by the body of the sheet itself, rather than a sheet coating. | |||
| UV block: >99%. | ||||
| Plastazote® | (*Plastazote thickness selected corresponding to needs of individual paining) | Preservation Equipment Ltd. | High density closed cell inert foam | Framing |
| 6 mm depth product code: 170–4506 | Acid free | |||
| Black colour | ||||
| 12 mm depth product code: 170–4512 | ||||
| Rabbit skin glue | – | Stuart R Stevenson, Artist’s and gilding materials | Rabbit skin adhesive granules | Frame conservation: consolidation and ground layer for toning |
| Gilders whiting | – | Stuart R Stevenson, artist’s and gilding materials | Finely ground calcium carbonate | Frame conservation: consolidation and ground layer for toning |
| Watercolour | 1/2 pan, raw sienna colour, Winsor and Newton professional watercolour | L Cornelissen & Son | (All) | Frame conservation: toning |
| Product code: WN0101552 | Transparency: staining | |||
| Series 1 | ||||
| 1/2 pan, Van Dyke Brown colour, Winsor and Newton professional watercolour. | Permanence: extremely permanent (AA) | |||
| Product code: WN0101676 | ||||
| 1/2 pan, raw umber colour, Winsor and Newton professional watercolour. | ||||
| Product code: WN0101554 | ||||
| Shell gold | 1/4 pan: yellow 23.5 carat | L Cornelissen & Son | (All:) | Frame conservation: toning |
| 1/4 pan: lemon 22.9 carat | Finely ground gold mixed with binders |
References
Accademia Della Crusca. 2000–2004. 4° edizione (1729–1738) del Vocabolario degli accademici della Crusca. Available at: http://www.lessicografia.it/Controller?E=5316;-1381607964;&c1=350;-7;3;-21159276;212722725;&c2=129;-39;3;40;69;1;130;32;5;40;66;1;129;-39;65;-9;69;4;130;1025;5;40;75;13;130;27;3;-1445393372;29921647;&qi=&q1=guazzo&q2=&q3=&q4=&qr=null&num=20&o=115;-38489505;-1185594668;&idV=1507318;-1386647891;-1514116950;&TDE=guazzo;&TDNE= (accessed March 20, 2022).Search in Google Scholar
Ash, N., S. Homolka, S. Lussier, R. Pollak, and E. Spaulding. 2014. “Descriptive Terminology for Works of Art on Paper: Guidelines for the Accurate and Consistent Description of the Materials and Techniques of Drawings, Prints, and Collages.” In Philadelphia Museum of Art, edited by R. Wolcot. Available at: https://www.philamuseum.org/doc_downloads/conservation/DescriptiveTerminologyforArtonPaper.pdf.Search in Google Scholar
Banti, D., and I. Tedbury. 2016. Landscape with Washerwomen, Attributed to Alessandro Magnasco. Conservation and Art Historical Analysis: A Collaborative Research Investigation. Courtauld Institute of Art. Available at: https://courtauld.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/RF_Talk_May_2016_Imogen_Dona_webarticle_ReducedSize.pdf.Search in Google Scholar
Barcham, W. 1994. “Towns and Landscapes.” In The Glory of Venice: Art in the Eighteenth Century, edited by J. Martineau and A. Robison. New Haven/London: Yale University Press.Search in Google Scholar
Carboni, S., T. Kennedy, and E. Marwell. 2007. Venice’s Principal Muslim Trading Partners: The Mamluks, The Ottomans, and The Safavids. https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/vmos/hd_vmos.htm (accessed Novemeber 20, 2021).Search in Google Scholar
Contadini, A. 1986. ““Cuoridoro”: Tecnica e decorazione di cuoi dorati veneziani e italiani con influssi islamici.” In Arte veneziana e arte islamica. Atti del primo simposio internazionale sull’arte veneziana e l’arte islamica, edited by E. J. Grube, 231–51. Venezia: L’altra Riva. Available at: https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/4528/1/Contadini_%201989.pdf.Search in Google Scholar
De Grazia, D., E. Garberson, E. Peters Bowron, P. Lukehart, and M. Merling. 1996. Italian Paintings of the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries. The National Gallery of Art, Washington. New York: Distributed by Oxford University Press.Search in Google Scholar
Gilt Leather Society. 2019. What is Gilt Leather. Available at: https://giltleathersociety.org/gilt-leather/what-is-gilt-leather/.Search in Google Scholar
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. 2022. Leather Wall Panels, 17th Century–18th Century. https://www.gardnermuseum.org/experience/collection/12188 (accessed March 20, 2022).Search in Google Scholar
Knox, G. 1988. “Antonio Pellegrini and Marco Ricci at Burlington House and Narford Hall.” Burlington Magazine 130 (1028): 846–53.Search in Google Scholar
Levey, M. 1962. “Marco Ricci and ‘Madama Smit’.” Burlington Magazine 104 (713): 350–2.Search in Google Scholar
Mannina, L., and A. Lombardo. 2013. “Diagnostic Analyses for the Study of Materials, Technique and State of Preservation of a Gilt and Painted Leather of the XVIII Century.” Procedia Chemistry 8: 202–11.10.1016/j.proche.2013.03.026Search in Google Scholar
Markevicius, T., L. Angelova, and L. Pereira. 2019. “Study of New Materials for Consolidation of Unprotected Matte Paint Media: Coupling Ultra-Low Viscosity Cellulose Ethers with Ultrasonic Misting Technique.” In AIC’s 47th Annual Meeting “New Tools, Techniques, and Tactics in Conservation and Collection Care.” 3–17 May 2019, Uncasville, CT, and New England.Search in Google Scholar
National Gallery of Art, Washington. 2021a. Tuft of Cowslips, by Albrecht Dürer. Available at: https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.74162.html.Search in Google Scholar
National Gallery of Art, Washington. 2021b. The Mall from St James’ Park, by Marco Ricci. Available at: https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.133121.html.Search in Google Scholar
Norgate, E. 1648. Miniatura or the Art of Limning. https://archive.org/details/cu31924016785572/page/n55/mode/2up?view=theatre (accessed November 19, 2021).Search in Google Scholar
Pedani, M. 2008. Ottoman Merchants in the Adriatic. Trade and Smuggling. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/52488446.pdf (accessed August 29, 2019).Search in Google Scholar
Pickwoad, N. 2017. The Techniques and Materials Used to Make Bookbindings on Incunables. https://ualresearchonline.arts.ac.uk/id/eprint/12052/1/BOOKBINDINGS%20ON%20INCUNABLES.docx (accessed December 24, 2021).Search in Google Scholar
Posthuma de Boer, M., R. Groves, and E. Koldeweij. 2016. Gilt Leather Artefacts: White Paper on Material Characterization and Improved Conservation Strategies within NICAS. Delft University of Technology. https://pure.tudelft.nl/ws/portalfiles/portal/9020114/Gilt_Leather_NICAS_electronic.pdf.Search in Google Scholar
Razzall, R., and L. Whitaker. 2017. Canaletto and the Art of Venice. London: Royal Collection Trust.Search in Google Scholar
Robertson, B., and R. Dance. 1988. “Joseph Goupy and the Art of the Copy.” Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 75 (10): 354–75.Search in Google Scholar
Royal Collection Trust. 2021a. A Town and Ruins beside a River, by Marco Ricci. Available at: https://www.rct.uk/collection/search#/1/collection/400579/a-town-and-ruins-beside-a-river.Search in Google Scholar
Royal Collection Trust. 2021b. A Winter Landscape, by Marco Ricci. Available at: https://www.rct.uk/collection/search#/1/collection/400582/a-winter-landscape.Search in Google Scholar
Royal Collection Trust. 2021c. An Italian Town Caprice, by Marco Ricci. Available at: https://www.rct.uk/collection/search#/2/collection/404091/an-italian-town-caprice.Search in Google Scholar
Royal Collection Trust. 2021d. Landscape with a Storm, by Marco Ricci. Available at: https://www.rct.uk/collection/search#/2/collection/400577/landscape-with-a-storm.Search in Google Scholar
Royal Collection Trust. 2021e. Landscape with Peasants and Woodcutters, by Marco Ricci. Available at: https://www.rct.uk/collection/search#/1/collection/400573/landscape-with-peasants-and-woodcutters.Search in Google Scholar
Royal Collection Trust. 2021f. Landscape with a Rocky Stream, Peasants and Cattle, by Marco Ricci. Available at: https://www.rct.uk/collection/search#/1/collection/400588/landscape-with-a-rocky-stream-peasants-and-cattle.Search in Google Scholar
Royal Collection Trust. 2021g. Landscape with Two Praying Monks, by Marco Ricci. Available at: https://www.rct.uk/collection/search#/2/collection/401439/landscape-with-two-praying-monks.Search in Google Scholar
Royal Collection Trust. 2021h. Landscape with a Sawmill, by Marco Ricci. Available at: https://www.rct.uk/collection/search#/1/collection/400551/landscape-with-a-sawmill.Search in Google Scholar
Royal Collection Trust. 2021i. Landscape with a Watermill, by Marco Ricci. Available at: https://www.rct.uk/collection/search#/1/collection/404092/landscape-with-a-watermill.Search in Google Scholar
Royal Collection Trust. 2021j. The Courtyard of a Country House, by Marco Ricci. Available at: https://www.rct.uk/collection/406016/the-courtyard-of-a-country-house.Search in Google Scholar
Royal Collection Trust. 2021k. Wallflower with Blue Butterfly, by Maria Sibylla Merian. Available at: https://www.rct.uk/collection/search#/42/collection/921223/wallflower-with-blue-butterfly.Search in Google Scholar
Sanderson, W. 1658. Graphice the Use of the Pen and Pensil, or, the Most Excellent Art of Painting (In Two Parts). https://www.lexart.fr/sources/view/598 (accessed November 19, 2021).Search in Google Scholar
Scarpa Sonino, A. 1991. Marco Ricci. Italy: Berenice.Search in Google Scholar
The Art Institute Chicago. 2000. A Capriccio with Horses Watering in a River outside a Walled Town, c. 1720. Art Institute of Chicago Museum Studies, Vol. 26, No. 1. Maineri to Miró: The Regenstein Collection Since 1975.10.2307/4104416Search in Google Scholar
The British Museum. 2022a. A Pollard Oak Near West Hampnett Place, Chichester, by John Dunstall. https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1943-0410-1 (accessed November 19, 2021).Search in Google Scholar
The British Museum. 2022b. The Miraculous Draught of the Fishes [after Raphael], by Joseph Goupy. Available at: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_2015-7031-1.Search in Google Scholar
The Cleveland Museum of Art. 2021. Jacob’s Dream, by Joseph Goupy. https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1970.362 (accessed December 21, 2021).Search in Google Scholar
The J. Paul Getty Museum. 2022a. Fishing Boats in a Storm, by Marco Ricci. Available at: https://www.getty.edu/art/collection/objects/212/marco-ricci-fishing-boats-in-a-storm-italian-about-1715/.Search in Google Scholar
The J. Paul Getty Museum. 2022b. Marco Ricci, Artist Overview. Available at: https://www.getty.edu/art/collection/artists/434/marco-ricci-italian-1676-1730/.Search in Google Scholar
The J. Paul Getty Museum. 2022c. Still Life with Bowl of Citrons, by Giovanna Garzoni. Available at: https://www.getty.edu/art/collection/objects/131420/giovanna-garzoni-still-life-with-bowl-of-citrons-italian-late-1640s/?dz=0.4676,0.4676,0.47.Search in Google Scholar
© 2022 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Original Works
- ‘A Very Curious Series of Paintings’: Marco Ricci’s Paintings on Leather
- The Landscape Gouache
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Original Works
- ‘A Very Curious Series of Paintings’: Marco Ricci’s Paintings on Leather
- The Landscape Gouache
