Painting style and method

The techniques adopted in this painting display the artist's knowledge and skill in the manipulation of oil paint to a very high level. The majority of the work appears to have been carried out by a single hand, painting rapidly and confidently, however the crown on the right-hand side and the repeating pattern of the embroidered costume are more likely to have been applied by the workshop. The handling in these areas, especially the crown, appears more systematic. Given the evidence of the number of changes made at both the drawing and painting stages, it appears that a strict pattern was not used in planning all elements of the portrait. (see IRR mosaic 01 and x-ray mosaic 01).



Preparation layers

There is a chalk ground and a lead-based pale warm grey priming layer, which is variable in thickness. This is also used as the first paint layer of the dress, for the mid-tones. The priming is mostly lead white and lamp black, with some occasional traces of red lead and another red (see Paint sampling).



The underdrawing was probably executed in charcoal (see Infrared reflectography and micro 15).



Paint

Flesh

The flesh is thinly painted above the pale priming. The paint mixture in the hands and face is mostly white with very small particles of vermilion and red lake. Much of the shadow and contour around the eyes, nose and mouth is defined by black underdrawing, showing through the thinly applied paint on the surface (see micro 02 and micro 04). Additional, deeper shadows were then applied above the pale flesh tones, using a higher proportion of black in the flesh paint. The lips were applied using a mixture of vermilion, lead white, black and red lake, with a rich red lake glaze to define the shadow and parting. Despite an inevitable increase in the transparency of the oil paint over time, it appears that the black underdrawing was intentionally used to create shadow and definition in the flesh. Fragments of red lake glaze remain on the surface of the cheek, suggesting a thin glaze was originally used to provide additional modelling and warmth in the flesh.



The hands were painted with the same paint mixture as the face, with brown and red lake used for shadows and contours (see micro 22). Microscopic examination of the hand on the left shows an additional red lake glaze on the surface, which appears to have been removed during a previous cleaning campaign (see micro 16). It appears likely that not only has there been a reduction in the overall warmth of the flesh tones through pigment fading, but this has also been accentuated by removal of glaze layers during past cleaning.



Eyes

The eyes were smoothly blended wet-in-wet, using small, soft brushstrokes and thinly applied paint. The shape of the eyes was defined with the black underdrawing and a dark red/brown paint. With microscopy it can be seen that the upper eye lashes on the eye on the right are defined with underdrawing which shows through the thinly applied paint on the surface (see micro 02). The iris and pupils of both eyes are painted with a high proportion of black (possibly bone black), lead white, vermilion and ochre.



Hair

The hair was initially laid in above the pale priming using a thin layer of charcoal black, yellow ochre, red lake, lead white and occasional azurite, (see Paint sampling). In areas of highlight and definition, such as the curls, the paint is more thickly applied using an opaque mixture of yellow ochre, black, vermilion, lead white, red lake and lead-tin yellow (see micro 03). Where the hair and flesh meet, the paint is finely blended wet-in-wet. Given the level of fading elsewhere, it is clear that the hair was more vivid originally and that the red lake has faded.



Veil

The veil was thinly painted above the background using grey, composed of lead white, black, azurite and red. The edge of the veil was then defined with lead-tin yellow, ochre and black pigments, applied with a very thin brush. The green 'vein' detail to the painted fabric was thinly applied over the grey veil using a thin mixture of azurite and red earth.



Costume

The costume was painted with an initial thin layer of grey, composed of lead white, charcoal black and vermilion. Due to the thin nature of the paint, the pale priming shows through the upper paint layers, as a warm mid-tone (see micro 12 and micro 20). The thin, now brown, glaze embroidery pattern was then applied, followed by lead white and lead-tin yellow details above. The brighter pale highlights contain red lead and lead-tin yellow. An area of embroidery from the lower edge of the panel (which historically has been protected from light by a frame rebate) shows how the majority of the, now pale brown, embroidered details have undergone significant colour change in the presence of light. The outline to the embroidery would originally have been considerably warmer in tone. In contrast to the brown, mottled glaze in the majority of the costume, the edge of the panel shows the glaze was originally a much warmer and brighter orange. This colour change is most likely to be due to the use of light-sensitive red lake pigment, which has faded over time. A considerable amount of unfaded, transparent red lake glaze can be seen in the painted outlines of the embroidery along the lower edge. In most of the costume, the paint mixture of the outlines has become cloudy and the pink tone is lost. Surface examination has identified smalt in this degraded paint mixture. A few pale blue smalt particles can be seen at high magnification and paint sampling has identified the presence of a glass pigment to confirm this observation. Paint sample analysis shows that there is a greater proportion of smalt than red lake in the paint mixture and, therefore, the mixture would have originally appeared purple. Tonal variations in the folds in the fabric were also probably more evident originally.



The red embroidered frogging on the bodice was then applied using vermilion, lead-tin yellow and a considerable amount of red lake (see micro 19). Examination in ultra violet light shows that areas of red lake in both the costume and tablecloth do not display the characteristic orange fluorescence of madder lake. As with many areas of the painting, the red lake in the frogging has also faded considerably. It is evident that the tonal variations were intentional; there is a distinct tonal contrast between the frogging in the upper and lower parts of the bodice (see micro 26), with rich vermilion and red lake used for detail in the upper section, and red lake and white in the paler frogging at waist level. The fading of the red lake in the lower parts of the frogging, where it was mixed with white, has exaggerated the tonal variation. After painting the frogging, white and grey shadows and details were applied to the costume (see micro 08). The ruff, cuffs and pearl necklace were then added above. Given the evidence for significant colour change, it is likely that the costume would have originally been considerably warmer and brighter in tone, with less contrast between the now quite bright frogging and the rest of the painted fabric and flesh.



Collar and cuffs

The collar and cuffs were first laid in with a thin pale grey composed of lead white, charcoal black, red lake and a little yellow ochre and azurite. The white details were then added into the still wet grey paint below, using a fine brush. Touches of very fine plant black were then applied for shadow (see micro 20).



Pearl necklace and the pendant jewel

The pearl necklace was applied over the costume, using lead white and black which were not fully mixed but applied wet-in-wet (see raking detail 02). Shadows cast against the costume were then defined by broad dark grey paint. Some of these were reinforced at a late stage with the same dark green paint used for the pendant jewel ribbon (see micro 21), suggesting a spontaneous working method. The pendant jewel and ribbon were painted at a late stage. A mixture of lead-tin yellow and azurite was used for the ribbon, with lead white in areas of highlight. The pendant jewel is expertly handled, with great fluidity and confidence. The paint was applied wet-in-wet, using pigment mixtures as well as pure colour, including thick red lake glazes, azurite, lead-tin yellow, black, lead white, vermilion and ochre (see micro 10 and micro 24).



Fan

In a similar manner to the handling of the pendant jewel, the fan was painted with great confidence and spontaneity. Small brushstrokes were used to paint individual feathers, which overlap and lightly blend as the colour was applied (see micro 13). Both microscopy and and infrared reflectography have shown clearly that the fan was altered in both the planning and painting stages before the artist settled on the current position and shape. Infrared reflectography shows a reserve and underdrawing for the fan in a higher position than it now appears, and includes underdrawing for a handle which was never painted (see IRR mosaic 01). A decision was made to lower the position of the fan after the drawing stage. At this point a thin initial layer of the grey costume paint was laid in, with a second layer applied up to the edge of the initial fan reserve. The painted embroidery details were then applied to the costume. Following this, the shape and size of the fan was altered above the painted costume. The embroidered pattern can be seen beneath the upper portion of the fan in both raking and normal light. The final shape and size of the fan appears much fuller and larger than was originally intended.



Chair and tablecloth

The sitter's left hand rests on a chair arm, which stands in front of the red embroidered tablecloth. At the right edge of the panel, the rich red lake glaze on the surface of the table cloth (see micro 14) has been protected from light by the frame rebate (in a similar manner to the costume at the lower edge of the panel). Where the paint has been exposed to light, it has faded to a pale red/orange, and lacks the depth of tone that it once had.



Order of construction

- Chalk ground

- Pale grey priming (lead white, charcoal black, occasional red), used also as the underlayer for the dress

- Underdrawing - charcoal

- Flesh

- Hair

- Ear

- Collar and cuffs laid in

- Costume

- Background

- Fan and pendant jewel

- White detail on collar and cuffs

- Veil

- Pearls on veil, in hair and necklace

- Dark shadows around pearls and in folds



Pigments

Lead white, charcoal black, plant black, lamp black, sienna and ochre earth pigments, vermilion, red lake, red lead, lead-tin yellow, azurite, smalt



Changes in composition/pentimenti

Multiple changes have occurred in both the drawing and painting stages (see Infrared reflectography). Small alterations to the outline of the shoulder on the right and the hairline can be seen in addition to those which took place in the fan (see above). Alterations have occurred in the positioning of the fifth finger of the hand on the left, which was first drawn and painted higher and wider than we see it today. This was then covered when the hands were opened from their original curled position (see Infrared reflectography and micro 17).



Restoration observations

The thin left edge board is not original. The retouchings are reasonably well matched.