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The
Berry Picker, overall |
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The Berry
Picker, detail center right
showing brush marks in the "amber" toning |
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The Berry
Picker, shown in ultra-violet light.
Sample of modern paper with fluorescent optical
whiteness, upper right |
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Formerly attributed to Winslow Homer,
The Berry Picker, watercolor over
graphite.
This watercolor came to the lab for possible
treatment while I was conservator at the
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. During the examination
questions arose. A strong amber tone, reminiscent of
natural aging resulting from exposure to light, was
present over the piece. However, close inspection
revealed that the tone failed to reach into the
deeper areas of the paper surface. In all
likelihood, the amber tone had been applied with a
dry brush to emulate natural aging.
Further investigation was undertaken by placing the
watercolor in ultraviolet light which revealed that
the paper contain optical whiteners. Optical
whiteners are placed in paper by the manufacturer.
They serve to create a cool tone in the paper which
enhances the perception of whiteness. Unfortunately
for the Nelson-Atkins watercolor, fluorescent
optical whiteners were not used in paper
manufacturing until the 1930's, far too late for a
watercolor supposedly executed in the 1880's. Based
on this point, the apparent effort to effect the
appearance of age and the work's overall stylistic
weakness, the watercolor has been removed from
Homer's body
of work.
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| Photo Credits: Nelson-Atkins
Museum of Art |
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