Drawing Sheet 3 E

Support

Dimensions:

22.1 x 17.0 cm

Cut edge:

Left edge

Paper type:

Cream wove paper, discolored to tan

Pinholes:

Difficult to assess with fractures

 Additional notes:

Sewing holes:

Possibly along left edge, 8.1 cm and 15.4 cm from top edge

Edges overlapping adj. sheet:

—

Edges extending below adj. sheet:

Top edge

Edges abutting adj. sheet:

Left, right, and bottom edges

Media

Charcoal/black chalk:

Charcoal/black chalk appears to have been used overall in the initial composition to shade areas around of Christ’s face and background; these areas appear smudged

Colored pencil:

Black pencil appears to have been used to strengthen or further develop/alter image areas, most notably Christ’s tear and hat flaps and extensions of beard

Blue pencil is added overall in the face of Christ and in the LLC (extends into 4E ULC)

Yellow pencil is faintly visible to either side of Christ’s face, both extend across into 3D and 3F

Graphite:

Possibly traces in LRC

Scratching:

Possibly in Christ’s lips

Additional media notes:

Very difficult to distinguish between the various black mediums—consider analysis

Composition

Drawing to sheet edges:

All edges, though black media is reduced somewhat along top edge

Drawing into adjacent sheet:

Though the composition continues below into 4E, the media generally differs from one sheet to the other, most notably in the center vertical black pencil lines that extend below into 4E in graphite; the graphite faces in the LRC and decorative element in the LLC continue across sheets in like media

Small dashing like black vertical lines and traces of faint yellow pencil continue across at sides into 3D and 3F

Compositional changes/additions:

Christ’s tear, beard, hair and upper area of the hat and suspended flaps may have been added/elaborated later in a slightly darker black pencil; also some of Christ’s facial features such as eyes and lips, may have been strengthened with black pencil

In the upper area of Christ’s head there are faint traces of diagonal lines in black pencil (partially erased?), perhaps formerly a crown of thorns—depicted in the Albrecht Bouts 1490-1500 painting of Man of Sorrows (see H. Todts, MOMA, 2009—image attached).

Artist’s patches:

—

Former restoration:

—

Drawing on verso:

—

Additional observations:

Was evidence of a crown of thorns erased?

Analysis

Technique

Area/location

Results/observations

Photomicroscopy:

Ultra-violet radiation:

Infrared radiation:

Raman Spectroscopy:

Different black media?

X-Ray diffraction: