American painters on technique

About this book

This is the first comprehensive study of an important but largely unknown part of the history of American art: the materials and techniques used by American painters. It is based on extensive research into primary and secondary sources, including artist' recipe books, letters, journals, and painting manuals, many of which are unpublished and/or little known to scholars. In interpreting this mass of evidence, the authors have used the experience gained from having museums and private collectors. Detailed information is provided on the methods of many painters, including Benjamin West, Gilbert Stuart, Washington Allston, Thomas Sully, Thomas Cole, and William Sidney Mount. Among the important topics discussed are the quest for the "secrets" of the old masters, which inspired experimentation with a surprising variety of materials; how artists believed their paintings might change over time; the application of brownish "toning ' layers; and the evolving self-confidence of American experimenters and innovators during the second quarter of the nineteenth century. Because many Americans wrote down what they learned in Europe, the book provides new information for those studying European painting techniques as well.