National Gallery Technical Bulletin: Volume 42

An authoritative annual record of scientific research and conservation carried out at the National Gallery, London

The National Gallery Technical Bulletin is an annual record of the research carried out at the National Gallery, London. Drawing on the combined expertise of scientists, conservators, and curators, it brings together a wealth of information about artists’ materials, practices, and techniques.

The gallery’s three paintings by Jan Van Eyck (1422-1441) have undergone technical imaging, explored in detail here, which has deepened knowledge of his materials and techniques. The second contribution addresses the history of picture restoration and conservation at the National Gallery. Ruben’s Het Steen highlights the gains from the recent cleaning and considers new perspectives on its conservation history. The final article explores the changes in the reception of Giotto’s Dead Christ and the Virgin as a result of the ways in which it has been restored in the past, and its highly unusual iconography.