Research | fromthegroundup

Research and publications

The conservation of a piece of artwork is intimately connected with research into the artist's techniques, and the painting's context, art history and conservation history. Abbie Vandivere has been involved in several research projects, spanning the 15th century to contemporary art. Selected projects are described below.

Her other research interests include: 15th-17th-century Netherlandish painting materials and techniques, technical art history, scientific imaging and analysis, and making reconstructions using historically appropriate materials.

Research projects

The Girl in the Spotlight:
A technical re-examination of Vermeer's

Girl with a Pearl Earring (c. 1665, Mauritshuis)

In 2018, Abbie led an international team of scientists from museums and institutions to examine Vermeer's masterpiece in full public view at the Mauritshuis. We wanted to find out:

• How did Vermeer create this iconic painting?

• What lies beneath the visible composition?

• What kind of pigments did he use? Where did they come from?

• How has the painting changed since it left Vermeer’s studio?

To find out about what we discovered:
• Summary of results on the website of the Mauritshuis
• Collection of 10 free scientific articles in Heritage Science (2019-20)
• Girl with a Blog: Blog by Abbie Vandivere (2018)

• More publications listed below

Image: Sylvain Fleur + the Girl in the Spotlight Team

From the Ground Up
Surface and sub-surface effects
in 15th-16th century
Netherlandish paintings

From the Ground Up:

Surface and sub-surface effects in 15th- and 16th-century Netherlandish paintings

Abbie Vandivere conducted research on Early Netherlandish Paintings as part of the project The Impact of Oil: A history of oil painting in the Low Countries and its consequences for the visual arts, 1350-1550. She received her PhD from the University of Amsterdam in June 2013.
Her PhD dissertation focuses on how each part of a painting's layer structure "from the ground up" has a function when the properties of the oil medium are exploited. Data was obtained through the technical examination of Early Netherlandish paintings from European collections. Her research focused on:

• the painting technique of the Leiden School

• the visibility of underdrawing

• coloured intermediate layers (the primuersel)

• the depiction of shot silk (changeant) fabrics

• surface effects that supply texture to fabrics.

More information:
• Summary and certain sections available on the University of Amsterdam website

• Please contact Abbie to request the full PhD dissertation

• Watch the defense of Abbie's dissertation on YouTube

• More publications listed below

Publications

2023

• with K. Harada, ‘Mandijn’s Monsters: shining a light on the techniques and motifs of a Bosch follower,’Conference: Jheronimus Bosch: His workshop and his followers, Jheronimus Bosch Art Center, ’s Hertogenbosch (forthcoming)

• A. Vandivere et al. ‘Rembrandt?: Cooperative technical examinations of five tronies,’ Art Matters (forthcoming)

• with J. Bustin, ‘A Matter of Manner? Material Aspects of Style and Reconstructions as a Research Tool,’ ‘Alla Maniera’: Technical art history and the meaning of style in 15th to 17th century painting, Postprints of Symposium XXII for the study of underdrawing and technology in painting (forthcoming)

• Review of The Ghent Altarpiece: Research and Conservation of the Interior: The Lower Register by Steyart et al., The Burlington Magazine, 165, 09/2023, 1036-37.

• The Girl in the Spotlight: Project de recherche pour l’examen technologique de la Jeune Fille a la Perle, (forthcoming) (translated by C. Betelu)

• with P. Kisner, M. Mundigler and S. Meloni, ‘Gallery tone: The preference for tinted varnishes in the Mauritshuis and their discontinuation,’ In Working Towards a Sustainable Past. ICOM-CC 20th Triennial Conference Preprints, Valencia, 18–22 September 2023, ed. J. Bridgland. Paris: International Council of Museums.

• with A.J. van Dam and C. Pottasch, ‘Death re-enlightened: Conservation of Frederik Ruysch’s wet anatomical preparations––The Rembrandts of fluid-preserved specimens,’ In Working Towards a Sustainable Past. ICOM-CC 20th Triennial Conference Preprints, Valencia, 18–22 September 2023, ed. J. Bridgland. Paris: International Council of Museums.

• M. Albrecht et al. ‘How to paint a bouquet: MA-XRF analysis of 17th century Netherlandish flower still lifes from the Mauritshuis,’ X-Ray Spectrometry, 11/04/2023, Link

• with I. Verslype, A. van Loon, A. Krekeler ‘De kleuren van Vermeer,’ Kunstschrift, 1, 2023.

2022

• A. Vandivere, C. Pottasch, I. Kneepkens, ‘Reconstructing Rogier: Practical Insights into the Original Appearance of the Lamentation Attributed to Rogier van der Weyden, Based on Student Reconstructions’ Materia: Journal of Technical Art History: 2, 2022. Link

• J. van der Toorn et al., ‘A new baseline for feature description on multimodal imaging of paintings,’ Eurographics Workshop on Graphics and Cultural Heritage, 2022: awarded best paper.

2021

• with C. Pottasch, ‘Public conservation at the Mauritshuis: Educating the technical art historians of the future,’ Transcending Boundaries: Integrated Approaches to Conservation, ICOM-CC 19th Triennial Conference Preprints, Beijing, 17-21 May, 2021, ed. J. Bridgland. Paris: International Council of Museums. Link

• P. D'Imporzano et al. ‘Time-dependent variation of lead isotopes of lead white in 17th century Dutch paintings,’ Science Advances, 7:49, 2021. Link

2020

• A. Vandivere et al. ‘The Girl in the Spotlight: Vermeer at work, his materials and techniques in Girl with a Pearl Earring,’ Heritage Science, 8:20, 2022. Link

• T. Callewaert et al. ‘Multi-scale optical coherence tomography imaging and visualization of Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring,’ Optics Express. 2020;28:18, pp. 26239-26256. Link

• Book Review of ‘The Ghent Altarpiece: Research and Conservation of the Exterior, eds. B. Fransen and C. Stroo’, Historians of Netherlandish Art Reviews, 10/2020. Link

• Guest editor of the collection ‘The Girl in the Spotlight: A technical re-examination of Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring’ for Heritage Science (Link), and co-author of:

- J.K. Delaney et al. ‘Mapping the pigment distribution of Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring,’ Heritage Science, 8:4, 2020. Link

- A. van Loon et al. ‘Out of the blue: Vermeer’s use of ultramarine in Girl with a Pearl Earring,’. Heritage Science, 8:25, 2020. Link

2019

• S. De Meyer et al. ‘Macroscopic x-ray powder diffraction imaging reveals Vermeer’s discriminating use of lead white pigments in Girl with a Pearl Earring,’ Science Advances, 30, 2019. Link

• E. Nigro et al. ‘Shimmering Still Life: Exploring Cornelis de Heem’s Remarkable Use of Orpiment from His Period in The Hague,’ AIC Paintings Specialty Group Postprints, 32, 2019.

• A. Vandivere and A. van Loon, ‘Het blauw in Meisje met de parel,’ kM Kunstenaarsmateriaal 116, Winter 2020, pp. 30-34.

• Guest editor of the collection ‘The Girl in the Spotlight: A technical re-examination of Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring’ for Heritage Science (Link), and co-author of:

- A. Vandivere et al. ‘From ‘Vermeer Illuminated’ to ‘The Girl in the Spotlight’: Approaches and methodologies for the scientific (re-)examination of Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring,’ Heritage Science, 7:66, 2019. Link

- A. Vandivere et al. ‘Revealing the painterly technique beneath the surface of Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring using macro- and microscale imaging,’ Heritage Science, 7:64, 2019. Link

- W.S. Elkhuizen et al. Comparison of three 3D imaging techniques for paintings, as applied to Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring. Heritage Science, 7:89, 2019. Link

- S. De Meyer et al. ‘Imaging secondary reaction products at the surface of Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring by means of in situ macro X-ray powder diffraction scanning,’ Heritage Science, 7:67, 2019. Link

- A. van Loon et al. ‘Beauty is skin deep: The skin tones of Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring,’ Heritage Science, 7:102, 2019. Link

- A. Vandivere et al. ‘Fading into the background: the dark space surrounding Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring,’ Heritage Science. 7:69, 2019. Link

2017

• with J. Ribits, ‘Gilded Goddess: The technical examination of an anonymous Italian gilt leather painting at the Mauritshuis,’ ICOM-CC 18th Triennial Conference Preprints, Copenhagen, 4–8 September 2017, ed. J. Bridgland, art. 0602. Paris: International Council of Museums.

• Editor with J. Townsend, Studying the European Visual Arts 1800-1850: Paintings, Sculpture, Interiors and Art on Paper, Conference at CATS, National Museum of Denmark, 15-16/06/2016, Archetype, 2017.

• A. Vandivere, ‘Surface effects in paintings by Jan van Eyck,’ Van Eyck Studies, Papers presented at the eighteenth symposium for the study of underdrawing and technology in painting, 19-21 September 2012, Brussels, Peeters, 2017, pp. 416-433.

2016

• Contributions to catalogue Genre Paintings in the Mauritshuis: Technical notes; Technical essay, with Carol Pottasch, Sabrina Meloni et al. ‘Beneath the Surface: Distinguishing materials and techniques in genre paintings,’ Zwolle, Waanders, 2016, pp. 26-39.

• A. Vandivere, ‘A translucent flesh-coloured primuersel: Intermediate layers in Jheronimus Bosch’s paintings,’ Postprints of the 4th international conference Jheronimus Bosch: His Life and His Work, Jheronimus Bosch Art Center, ’s Hertogenbosch, 2016, pp. 352-368.

2014 and earlier

• M. Ainsworth and A, Vandivere, ‘Judith with the Head of Holofernes: Jan Cornelisz Vermeyen's Earliest Signed Painting,’ Journal of the Historians of Netherlandish Art, Vol. 6:2, Summer 2014. Link

• From the Ground Up: Surface and sub-surface effects in fifteenth- and sixteenth-century Netherlandish paintings, PhD Dissertation, University of Amsterdam, 2013. Link
• ‘Reconstructing intermediate layers in early Netherlandish paintings,’ In Artists’ Footsteps: The reconstruction of pigments and paintings, L. Wrapson et al. (eds.), London, Archetype, 2013, pp. 63-76.

• M. Clarke and A. Vandivere, ‘Changing drapery, recipes and practice,’ Postprints of the conference Vision and Material: Interaction between art and science in Jan van Eyck’s time, Vlaams Academisch Centrum, Brussels, Belgium, November 2010, M. De Mey, M.P.J. Martens and C. Stroo (eds.), published 2012, pp. 235-253.

• ‘In search of Van Mander’s primuersel: Coloured intermediate layers in early 16th-century Netherlandish paintings,’ The Artist’s Process: Technology and interpretation, summary of a poster presented at the fourth ATSR symposium in Vienna, September 2010, S. Eyb-Green et al. (eds.), London, Archetype, 2012, pp. 198-199, plates 86-87.

• ‘“Cloeck en veerdigh”: Energetic and Skilful Painting Techniques of the sixteenth-century Leiden School,’ Journal of the Historians of Netherlandish Art, Vol. 4:1, Winter 2011. Link
• ‘In search of Van Mander’s primuersel: Intermediate layers in early Netherlandish paintings,’ In ICOM-CC 16th Triennial Conference Preprints, Lisbon, 19-23 September 2011, ed. J. Bridgland, Lisbon: Critério - Artes Gráficas, Lda.
• with M. Clarke, ‘Purpura and proto-changeant: the earliest representations of shot silk fabrics,’ In ICOM-CC 16th Triennial Conference Preprints, Lisbon, 19-23 September 2011, ed. J. Bridgland, Lisbon: Critério - Artes Gráficas, Lda.

• E. van Duijn, A. Vandivere, J.P. Filedt Kok, A. Wallert and M. Wolters, ‘De Leidse Schilders aan het werk,’ Essay in the exhibition catalogue Lucas van Leiden en de Renaissance, Lakenhal, Leiden, 2011, pp. 3-25.

• E. van Duijn, A. Vandivere, J.P. Filedt Kok, A. Wallert and M. Wolters, ‘Developments in the underdrawing and painting technique of the sixteenth-century Leiden School, in particular the workshops of Cornelis Engebrechtsz and Lucas van Leyden,’ Postprints of the National Gallery Technical Bulletin 30th Anniversary Conference: Studying Old Master Paintings – Technology and Practice, 2011, pp. 104-110.

• with P. Keune, J. Roeders, ‘Onder de loep: Restauratie van vijf schilderijen’, kM, Vol. 76, No. 27, winter 2010.

• ‘Damiate heroverd: De restauratie van De inneming van Damiate van Cornelis Claesz van Wieringen’, Halszaken, 26, 08/2010.

• ‘Changes of Identity in Garland of Flowers and Vase by G.P. Verbruggen the Younger,’ Oud Holland, Vol. 122, No. 2/3, 2009, pp. 164-180.

• ‘Overschildering in schilderij van Gaspar Pieter Verbruggen II: Bloemkrans en een vaas’ Nieuwsbrief of the Instituut Collectie Nederland, Vol. 11, No. 1, 04/2008.

• ‘Jan Cornelisz. Vermeyen’s Cardinal Erard de la Marck and The Holy Family: A Diptych Reunited?’ The Burlington Magazine, 02/2008, pp. 76-82

• R. Morrison et al. ‘An investigation of parameters for the use of citrate solutions for surface cleaning unvarnished paintings,’ Studies in Conservation, Vol. 52, Issue 4, 02/2008, pp. 255-270.

• ‘St. Antonius behandeld’ and ‘Een tweeluik?: Twee panelen van Vermeyen onderzocht,’ Halszaken, 09/2007.