Nardo di Cione's 'Altarpiece: Three Saints'

Dillian Gordon, David Bomford, Joyce Plesters and Ashok Roy
Technical Bulletin Volume 9, 1985

Abstract

Begins with a history of Three Saints, its commission, location, and composition, continuing with a description of acquisition, structure, condition and treatment. The 19th-century frame was removed because it was crude, badly made, and acted as a considerable restraint against natural movement of the poplar panel. The panel needed extensive consolidation of the wood. Cleaning followed, then infilling of the very limited losses.

The third part of the article is an extensive comparison of the materials and the techniques actually used with those recommended by Cennino Cennini in his treatise. This covers the choice of wood, construction of panel, preparation of gesso ground, underdrawing, incised outlines, gilding, tooling, and paint layers.

Keywords 

Cennino di Drea Cennini, consolidation, construction, gesso, gilding, history, incising, paintings, wood

Download article

Nardo di Cione's 'Altarpiece: Three Saints', Dillian Gordon, David Bomford, Joyce Plesters and Ashok Roy (PDF 13.79MB)

To cite this article we suggest using

Gordon, D., Bomford, D., Plesters, J., Roy, A. 'Nardo di Cione's "Altarpiece: Three Saints"'. National Gallery Technical Bulletin Vol 9, pp 21–37.
http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/technical-bulletin/gordon_bomford_plesters_roy1985

Problems opening files? Get Adobe Reader [External link]