A pentimento is an alteration to a drawing or painting
where evidence of the previous work can be seen, showing where the artist has
made a new decision.
Evidence can be seen in either the underdrawing or any
of the subsequent layers, and most examples from the Old Masters have only been
found by the use of x-ray and infrared imaging techniques, although as oil
paint becomes more transparent over time, an underpainted section may show
through a reworked version.
Pentimenti in drawings are easier to see, and examples
often quoted are found in Leonardo da Vinci’s and Edgar Degas’ work, such as
the multiple adjustments of line around the shoulder area below.
Ballet
Dancer seen from behind, Degas, c.1870s
As more examples come to light, it has become clear that
pentimenti are very common in the work of the Old Masters. They play an important
part in determining the originality of a work as there should be none or at
least less in subsequent copies. Painters such as Rembrandt, Titian and
Caravaggio appear to have worked directly onto the canvas and thus corrections
and changes are going to occur more frequently.
Marks which reveal a totally different subject are not
generally classed as pentimenti. Often such examples are where the artist has
begun a new work over a previous, abandoned canvas, for example Picasso’s “The
Old Guitarist”. These significant or different changes are referred to in some
sources as “restatements”. Picasso had begun two distinct works beneath the final layer which were identified by x-ray and infrared in 1998.
x-ray showing earlier compositions infrared image showing woman's face
In a slight deviation from the subject, during my
research I came across this site http://www.webexhibits.org/feast/analysis/reconstructing.html
which examines a painting begun by Bellini, reworked by Dossi and finished by
Titian, which shows the process of restatement very clearly.
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