The Mouth of Truth

Identification of wood species: beech wood (Fagus sp.)

DESCRIPTION

Tools/Materials:

- fluid black pigmented medium, brush

Type/Ductus:

- underdrawing barely visible

- thin lines

Function:

- binding for the final painted version; line delineate contours and describe the essential features within the forms; no representation of volume

Deviations:

- no alterations visible

INTERPRETATION

Attribution:

- not possible

[Smith, Sandner, Heydenreich, cda 2012]

- beech wood (Fagus sylvatica)

- 4 planks, glued horizonally

- widths from the top: left 27.1, 28.1, 36.8, 25.4 cm, right 26.2, 29.0, 36.5, 25.6 cm

- thinned to a thickness of 0.2-0.4 cm

- the knots were left in the wood

- right join covered with tow

- there is a 7 x 7 cm canvas application at the bottom on the right

- a ground was applied to the panel and it was painted before it was framed

- the contours and the lines within the forms are only barely visible

- the binding medium has cause the paint to wrinkle in the light flesh paint

- a light red, streeky glaze was applied to the green dress of the adulteress lending it a reddish appearance

- the dark green dress of the woman on the far right is almost black

- although Schuchardt (1851) challenged the authenticity of the signature and date they exhibit the same ageing characteristics as the paint layers beneath

[Bartl, Cat. Nuremberg 1997, 152]

Support:

• the panel has been thinned to a thickness of 0.2-0.4 cm

• there is a long, horizontal cut extending from the head of the adulteress to the lion

• old wood worm damage

-10 dowels of different sizes have been inserted at varying intervals into the panel along the top edge and 13 along the bottom. These are evidently a relique from a former frame fitting.

• numerous splits suggest that the panel was very warped before it was cradled

• the panel has been trimmed slightly along all four sides

Reverse:

• cradled before 1936

• splits in the areas between the cradle have been reinforced with wooden blocks

Painted surface:

• the madder lake glaze on the scholar's overcoat has been repainted

• the grey rectangle on the text block may be dirty fill material employed to level the uneven surface along the split

• the black boarders are a later addition

• the right side of the face of the adulteress has been cleaned to a greater degree than the left side

• there are fills and extensive retouching along the numerous splits, the joins and above all in the dark men's faces, which were overcleaned

• old retouching with hand ground paint, which probably dates from between 1851 and 1900

[Bartl, Cat. Nuremberg 1997, 152]

as yet no information

[Bartl, Cat. Nuremberg 1997, 152]