Historical Painting Techniques, Materials, and Studio Practice

Figure 1. The Execution of Lady Jane Grey, af ter cleanirlg a/1d before restoration.

mer student, the use of similar "boxes" to study the fall of light upon small

draped nlOdels was not uncommon (15). It is fa ir comment that the scene

depicted takes place uncomfortably close to the picture plane within a stage­

like space.

The 1834 Salon catalogue states that the painting was owned by Prince An­

atole Demidoff, who paid 8,000 fr ancs fo r it. It remained in private ownership

until it was bequeathed to the National Gallery by the second Lord Chey­

lesmore in 1902 (16). In 1928 it suffered flood damage while at the Tate

Gallery and was later described as destroyed (17). In 1973 it returned to the

National Gallery, where examination showed that the condition of the paint­

ing was not as bad as had been fe ared, consisting principally of tears in the

canvas (the largest tear through the executioner's fe et) and associated paint

losses. Figure 1 shows the picture before restoration after it had been repaired,

double lined with wax resin, and cleaned (1974-1975). Evidently its construc­

tion must have been relatively sound, and this was confirmed by its recent

technical examination (18).

Method and materials of painting

The highly fmished Salon painting or Academic picture was the result of a

well-established procedure; the artist would make preliminary studies, an es­

quisse (a sketch of the intended composition), and detailed drawings before

transferring the design to canvas and beginning to paint (19, 20, 21,22). These

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