Paul Ackroyd, Rachel Billinge, Lorne Campbell and Jo Kirby
Technical Bulletin Volume 24, 2003
Abstract
The National Gallery version of Two Tax-Gatherers by the 16th-century Netherlandish artist Marinus van Reymerswale is now understood to be copied from the Louvre painting of the same subject. Details about the execution of both the National Gallery painting and Louvre painting are presented, including descriptions of the panel construction, preparation, underdrawing, and paint layers.
Comparison of the infrared reflectograms of the National Gallery painting to infrared photographs of the Louvre painting have led to the identification of the use of transfer drawings to create the copy. Little is known about the artist Marinus van Reymerswale. His known, signed works are discussed. The town of Reymerswale in Zeeland was significant to pigment technology, since it was known for the cultivation of madder. This same red lake pigment has been identified in the National Gallery painting. The identification of text on documents and on the coins in the paintings is discussed, since they relate to the town of Reymerswale.
Keywords
art history, infrared reflectography, madder, Netherlandish, paint layers, painting techniques, panel paintings, pigment, primary source documents, Renaissance, replicas, Reymerswale, underdrawings
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The 'Two Tax-Gatherers' by Marinus van Reymerswale: Original and Replica, Paul Ackroyd, Rachel Billinge, Lorne Campbell and Jo Kirby (text-only RTF 0.23MB)
To cite this article we suggest using
Ackroyd, P., Billinge, R., Campbell, L., Kirby, J. 'The "Two Tax-Gatherers" by Marinus van Reymerswale: Original and Replica'. National Gallery Technical Bulletin Vol 24, pp 50–63.
http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/technical-bulletin/ackroyd_billinge_campbell_kirby2003
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