Wood used in Italian panel paintings

Carl Villis <ngvcons [at] ngv__vic__gov__au> writes

>I'd like to know if anyone is aware of any recent research into wood
>types used for sixteenth century Central and Northern Italian panel
>paintings.  I am looking at a painting painted on walnut and would
>like to get a clearer idea of the prevalence of walnut as a painting
>support at this time.

The only book I know of on this subject is Jacqueline Marette's
Connaissance des Primitifs par l'Etude du Bois, published in Paris
in 1961.  In that book there are charts and graphs showing the
distribution of wood species throughout Europe and their frequency
of use among the various Italian schools.

Also, Professor Peter Klein of the University of Hamburg has studied
woods used in paintings, focusing mainly on dendrochronology.  By
writing to him, he might know of more recent information on walnut
supports.

Norman Muller


                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 13:45
                 Distributed: Friday, February 25, 2000
                       Message Id: cdl-13-45-009
                                  ***