Altarpiece, Biblical & European Panel Painting, Art Expert Attribution & Authentication , International   Investigations Researchers | Triptych, Italian, French, German, Flemish Renaissance, Medieval

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EXPERTS INVESTIGATEURS INTERNATIONAUX EN AUTHENTICITÉ DES BEAUX-ARTS - ARTISTES ATTRIBUTION LEGITIMACY CONSULTATIONS

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INTERNATIONAL OLD  MASTER  ARTIST - WORKSHOP   ATTRIBUTION   &  AUTHENTICATION  INVESTIGATIONS

 

 

  The Freemanart Consultancy, with bases in the UK and in Europe, are expert in conducting complex attribution and authentication investigations and directing multilingual, international archival research into the origins of European Altarpiece and early Biblical panel paintings.

Skilled in undertaking wide ranging academic in-depth studies, alongside complex provenance research and verification scrutiny, we utilise a variety of forensic applications in this specialist field. With experts on hand with specific expertise in Northern and Southern European altarpiece art, religious frescos and panel paintings of all forms, including;

Triptych; Paintings made up of three sections, often hinged together and attached to either side of a central panel. These range from small works for domestic devotion, to major altarpieces.

Diptychs; Two hinged wooden panels which can be closed like a book and the more complex and elaborate;

Polyptych; Multi- panelled, dynamic altarpieces and screens. Usually depicting the holy family or individual saints set against a celestial gold background within an intricate Gothic architectural frameworks. In the main these are painted by the most important workshops and artists. Many such works of art have in time become separated and are thought to be single paintings which appear in collections. We investigate many, leading to positive attributions.

 

Mathew examines the “Coronation of the

Virgin” by Jacopo di Cione at

the Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence, Italy.

 

 

 In 1359, Andrea di Cione di Arcangelo (c. 1308 – August 25, 1368), better known as Orcagna - a painter, sculptor and architect - executed the only significant, large scale sculpture of the time in the city of Florence. The mammoth tabernacle for Orsanmichele. [Seen here to the left.]

 Altarpiece iconography and its subject matter is formally linked to Biblical art, specifically featuring the Holy Family and respective Saints. It also contained large areas of expensive gilding to both the frame and the picture itself. The amount of gold leaf determined by the patron of the work, who set both the price for the undertaking, its size, manner and the subject matter, according to their status, the positioning of the final work and reason for its undertaking, linked to the depth of his pocket.

 Most altarpieces date from about the year 1000 onwards, when a religious shrine was relocated to a more formal place and where the altar was to become the focal point of the church. Altar panel-paintings became common in Europe from about the 15th century and were created by artists and their studio workers using either oil paint or egg tempera. This was applied to wooden panels set in decorative and often highly elaborate, architectural gilded frames which formed part of the churches cherished decoration.

Ocagna's Marble, lapis lazuli, gold and glass inlay Tabernacle.
Orsanmichele, Florence

 

 

 

 The demands placed upon artists by their patrons who commissioned the original work, was such that a recognized image consistency of the characters depicted in the panel painting was clearly insisted upon. As such the artist often needed to refer backwards, in fact to other artist's representations as being good and reliable likeness examples, including saints and other figures, for their own new creative variants.

 A good example is  the likeness of Mary Magdalene [to the right] when placed side by side with another example of the same saint, painted by Lippo d'Andrea di Lippo.

 

 In the first, the left hand side image, painted in about 1360 and from the di Cione studio and workshop, is the right hand panel of a unified altarpiece, now a Triptych and one which we were investigating in Florence, for a private Swiss collector.

 

        

                                      ^Lippo

 

 

 Some 70 years hence, in about 1430, Lippo d'Andrea creates his predella, [See Below]for the Chiesa di Santa Maria degli Angiolini.

 The Enthroned Madonna and Child with Saints Catherine of Alexandria, Francis, Zanobius and Mary Magdalene. From which our example is taken. Here on the right, is the saint yet again, this time on the ceiling of the church of Orsanmichele completed in 1404

So he took his likeness from somewhere?

 

 Here, in this complex 'predella' to the left, the scale, reality and relationship of the composition is not paramount. The story and how it links however is.

  In the creation of altarpiece art, masters were assisted by pupils and other members of the workshop in their difficult and complex preparation. Each one had specific technical abilities and skills. 

Modern technical analysis and x-radiography have deepened our understanding of this process, allowing for a closer examination of the materials and techniques used by the artist and his studio which helps us in the attribution process.

 In the gilding itself there are also clues to the artists who created them.

There is a definite consistency in the  metal stamps used by different studios and the punch marks themselves are often formidable comparative indicators in considering and artist attribution.

 

 

 

 We also have scholars on hand with specific expertise and wide ranging knowledge of Italian altarpiece paintings, including the works of the Sienese, Florentine and Roman schools, but also in French, Flemish and German religious iconography and altarpiece art and can assist you with the following disciplines;

 

  • Authentication: Authentification:   Conducting comprehensive investigations and in depth research into a work of art with a view to establishing a correct, complete and formally recognized certification. One absolutely upheld by the appropriate, legally acknowledged and internationally sanctioned authority, body or expert on that given artist. Directing detailed and complicated inquiries, with multilingual capability, including any international academic research and forensic applications that are required.

 

  •  Attribution: Identifying and confirming the identity of a previously anonymous artist, studio or workshop from which a work of art most likely originated. Including the re-examination and investigation of a previous attribution which may be incorrect, or the scrutiny of an attribution that has been formally questioned or is currently doubted.

 

 

  •  Confirmation:  Undertaking research and investigations into the legitimacy of the provenance, history and prior ownership of a work of art and establishing its accuracy and legitimacy.

 

 

  •  Attention: Conducting all fine art related due diligence and duty of care inquiries. Including safe prepurchase or sale related audits and assisting clients in consolidating a well balanced future family distribution.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Preliminary Assessment

 

    Before you pursue any authenticity, legitimacy, or artist attribution investigation, it is wise to have an impartial preliminary assessment of the viability of the project conducted first. One made to independently and rationally balance any negative issues there may be against the positive.

We will be happy to professionally undertake this for you, based upon good quality images that you supply and all the known facts regarding its acquisition, the history and provenance of the work as is known to you.

You will then have a far better understanding of the prospects and indeed the possible pitfalls that could lie ahead.

See our FAQ's for details of the process

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We will respond to you promptly.

 

 

  Avant d'entreprendre une enquête sur l'authenticité d'une œuvre d'art ou l'attribution d'un artiste, il est plus que prudent de procéder à une évaluation impartiale de sa faisabilité. Ceci est fait pour équilibrer indépendamment tous les problèmes négatifs qui peuvent exister contre le positif.

Nous serons heureux d'entreprendre cette étude d'une manière professionnelle pour vous que nous considérons comme votre principal filet de sécurité.
Il sera basé sur les images que vous fournissez et tous les faits connus concernant votre acquisition, son passé et la provenance de l'œuvre telle que vous la connaissez. Vous aurez alors une meilleure compréhension des perspectives et des difficultés éventuelles à venir, avant de prendre une décision.

 

 Spanish flag Antes de embarcarse en cualquier investigación de autenticidad artística o atribución de artista, es más que prudente realizar primero una evaluación imparcial de su viabilidad. Esto se hace para equilibrar independientemente cualquier problema negativo que pueda haber contra el positivo.

Nos complace emprender profesionalmente ese estudio para usted, que consideramos su red de seguridad. Se basará en las imágenes que usted suministre y todos los hechos conocidos con respecto a su adquisición, historia pasada y procedencia del trabajo tal como lo conoce.

Entonces tendrá una mejor comprensión.

 

 

 

Cranach Reformation Altar St. Mary's Church , Wittenberg, Germany
Master of Moulins (Jean Hey), Bourbon Altarpiece French, 1498. Moulins Cathedral
   

 

 

 

LINKS TO SPECIALISM GENRES

 
     

OLD MASTER ART

EUROPEAN ART - AUTHENTICATION
SCOTTISH ART
ITALIAN ART
CUBAN ART AUTHENTICATION

HUNGARIAN ART

SCANDINAVIAN - NORDIC ART
17-18C EUROPEAN ROCOCO ART
PORTRAITS & MINIATURES    
     
     
 

OLD MASTER ARTIST LINKS

 

 

CONSTABLE John
TURNER J. M. W
STUBBS George
GAINSBOROUGH Thomas

REYNOLDS Joshua Sir

MORLAND George
ROMNEY George
HOGARTH William
SANDBY Paul
LAWRENCE Sir Thomas
REMBRANDT van Rijn
Dou Gerrit
VINCI Leonardo da
Verrocchio
TITIAN / TIZIANO
GOYA Francisco José de
El GRECO
BELLOTTO Bernardo
NASMYTH Alexander
KNELLER Sir Godfrey
CANALETTO
TIEPOLO Giandomenico
ZUCCARELLI Francesco
RUBENS Sir Peter Paul
PANINI Giovanni Paolo
ZURBARIAN Francisco de
IL SASSOFERRATO
GIORDANO Luca
RIBERA  José de
RENI Guido
FRAGONARD Jean Honore
OSTADE Adriaen van
VELDE Peter van de
VELAZQUEZ Diego
CAGNACCI Guido
ZAMPIERRI Domenico (Domenichino)
VERNET Claude Joseph
LORRAIN Claude
POUSSIN Nicolas
CALVAERT Denys
MIGNARD Pierre
CARRACCI Annibale
CARRACCI Ludovico
MARTIN John
WILSON Richard RA
WRIGHT Joseph of Derby
SNYDERS Frans
AELST Pieter Coecke van
HEDA Willem Claesz.
JOLI Antonio
CHARDIN Jean Baptiste Simeon
WATTEAU Jean-Antoine
BOL Ferdinand
BELLINI Giovanni
BELLINI Gentile
CRANACH Lucas the elder
GROS Antoine-Jean
Barker Thomas of Bath
GENTILESCHI Orazio
GENTILESCHI Artemisia
MURILLO Bartolomé Esteban
COTAN Juan Sánchez
GUERCINO
FRANCESCHINI Marc Antonio
EL DIVINO Luis de Morales
MELENDEZ Luis
LIPPI  Lorenzo
COPLEY John Singleton
MANTEGNA Andrea
 

 

CURRENT INVESTIGATIONS

     
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Altarpiece Art – Expert Attribution & Authentication Investigation | European religious panel painting researchers | Triptych - Italian Renaissance, Northern Renaissance, Late Gothic, and Counter-Reformation

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European Altarpiece art attribution & investigation services.12th, 13th, 14th, 15th. 16th. 17th, 18th century. Forensic and Academic research international

 

European altarpiece art, biblical - panel painting artist attribution, and workshop investigation services.12th, 13th, 14th, 15th. 16th. 17th, 18th C.. Forensic and Academic investigators - International researchers

Altarpiece Biblical and European Panel Painting Art Investigations || Expert Multilingual Attribution Researchers || Fine art consultants ~ International Authentication Investigations ~ Triptych, Italian, French, German, Flemish Renaissance, Medieval,