Charity

- a single board (vertical grain)

- on the reverse marks from a saw (across the grain) and a smoothing plane (with the grain)

- white glue-bound ground applied in thin layers

- lines scored into the ground at the top and bottom of the panel, c. 0.3-0.4 cm and 0.6-0.7 cm from the edge of the panel respectively.

There is a sparse loose underdrawing executed with a brush and black fluid medium indicating contours and essential details.

The sky was initially laid in with white paint followed by the application of a layer containing a green copper-based pigment; the flesh paint was worked up with glazes using vermilion and white, varying in ratio according to requirements; deeper shadows were achieved with brown and black paint; the surface structure of glazes in areas of shadow suggest a finger may have been used; the hair was modulated with glazes containing ochre, vermilion and lead tin yellow; grey glazes were used for the stone, indicating highlights with white paint and shadows with a paint containing a green copper-based pigment; the marble block where Charity sits was modulated using paint with green copper-based pigments applied in varying thicknesses and making use of the ground in the final visual effect; the veins were drawn with a fine tipped brush in white and brown (an admixture of black and red); the foliage and the meadow were initially laid in using paint containing a green copper-based pigment with the addition of some white; due to the discoloured glaze these areas now appear black; leaves and blades of grass were rendered with a fine brush using a mixture of malachite and white, and completed with a green glaze; the darker green leaves in the sky were added with a green glaze, now brown; the tree trunk was worked up employing semi-transparent dark brown and grey paint; finally details like the chain, single strands of hair, the veil, flowers and the apples were added.

- Prehn frame

[Historisches Museum Frankfurt online, accessed 22.05.2023]

Support:

• the panel has been cropped on all four sides (top and bottom only slightly trimmed)

• a piece of the top left corner has broken off (c. 1 x 1 cm).

• there is an old split at the top right edge, c. 2 cm length

Paint layers:

• numerous small retouched losses along the glued joint where the wedge was reattached, and also across the entire painted surface

• larger losses at the edge of the panel

Coatings:

• the application of the new varnish is patchy

[Historisches Museum Frankfurt online, accessed 22.05.2023]

In 1967 a piece of wood, 10 cm in length and wedge shaped, was reattached to the bottom edge of the panel.

[Historisches Museum Frankfurt online, accessed 22.05.2023]