Two new installments have appeared on The Met’s blog. Unlocking the Mysteries of Two Jan van Eyck Frames by Maryan Ainsworth, and Part Two: Imaging the Hidden Details by Silvia A. Centeno focus on the frames of two of The Met’s most treasured paintings, The Crucifixion and The Last Judgment by Jan van Eyck. Although the paintings themselves have been the subject of frequent technical study, their original frames had not. In an effort to detect evidence of hinges and other features that might explain whether the frames originally formed the components of a diptych (as has long been supposed), or the wings of a triptych, or doors to a tabernacle or reliquary shrine, they used X-radiography to begin their investigation.
he lower member of The Last Judgment frame in normal light (top) and a detail of the X-radiograph showing a mysterious hidden inscription (bottom)
Photo: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Margareta Haverman
The Collection Insights blog offers new perspectives on works in The Met collection. Last December, an item was added on the conservation of A Vase of Flowers by the Dutch artist Margareta Haverman. The exuberant still-life with colorful blossoms, fruit, and crawling insects needed to be examined and treated for an exhibition, providing a unique opportunity to learn more about this talented artist. Honoring a Legacy: The Conservation of Margareta Haverman’s A Vase of Flowers is written by Gerrit Albertson.