The extended loan of Vermeer's 'The Guitar Player' from Kenwood House enabled National Gallery researchers to analyse the painting's materials and closely study the techniques used.
Read about the methods used in the project.
How were Vermeer's canvases prepared prior to painting?
What lies beneath? Secrets under the paint surface.
Explore colour and pigment in Vermeer’s painting.
Applying pigment to canvas: the use of oils and their effects.
Learn about the techniques employed by Vermeer.
Magnification and how it reveals hidden clues.
Impact of time: changes to the appearance of this blue pigment.
Observe the degradation of these pigments in Vermeer’s paintings.
Vermeer’s errors: an Old Master’s mistakes?
Discover how the materials used in paintings alter with time.