Overpainting is the final layers of paint, over some type of
underpainting
In art, an underpainting is an initial layer of paint applied to a ground, which serves as a base for subsequent layers of paint. Underpaintings are often monochromatic and help to define color values for later painting. Underpainting gets its name ...
, in a system of
working in layers
Working in layers is a system for creating artistic paintings that involve the use of more than one layer of paint.
Oil painting
Working in layers is used extensively in oil painting for paintings that require more than one session. For a painti ...
. It can also refer to later paint added by
restorers, or an artist or dealer wishing to "improve" or update an old image—a very common practice in the past. The underpainting gives a context in which the paint-strokes of the overpainting become more resonant and powerful. When properly done, overpainting does not need to completely obscure the underpainting. It is precisely the interaction of the two that gives the most interesting effects.
Overpainting was used extensively in many schools of art. Some of the most spectacular results can be seen in the work of
Jan van Eyck
Jan van Eyck ( , ; – July 9, 1441) was a painter active in Bruges who was one of the early innovators of what became known as Early Netherlandish painting, and one of the most significant representatives of Early Northern Renaissance art. Ac ...
.
It can be difficult to distinguish overpainting from underpainting in finished historical artworks in the absence of scientific tests.
X-rays
An X-ray, or, much less commonly, X-radiation, is a penetrating form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation. Most X-rays have a wavelength ranging from 10 Picometre, picometers to 10 Nanometre, nanometers, corresponding to frequency, ...
are often used to examine paintings because they allow the conservation technician to see what is hidden beneath a surface without having to damage it, depending on the materials used. By using different intensities of X-rays, experts can see different layers of paint and determine whether a canvas was ever painted over.
See also
*
References
Max Doerner*"Detecting Deception" i
a virtual museum exhibition at Library and Archives Canada
* An example of overpainting i
External links
{{Cultural Conservation-Restoration , state=expanded
Conservation and restoration of paintings
Painting techniques