The canvas support

Abstract

After working almost exclusively on panel during his years in Leiden, Rembrandt frequently made use of canvases in Amsterdam¹. Two reasons prompted us to undertake an investigation of these fabric supports. In the first place, earlier investigations had raised the hope that the thread density (as we shall call the number of threads per unit of length in the two directions) might provide a rough but valuable criterion when dating paintings². Secondly, there was the question of why one or more sides of the canvas frequently show no signs of cusping or scalloping, i.e. deformations in the fabric due to stretching. Could it be conclusded at once, from an absence of cusping, that a painting like this has been reduced by later hands in the side or sides in question?

In preparing this chapter I received help and inspiration from many people, and most of all from the students and temporary assistansts who worked in my department at the Central Research Laboratory for Objects of Art and Science in Amsterdam. They helped with the tedious thread-counting and measuring of cusping, etc. Their enthusiasm for this project was an important stimulus for me. I am greatly indebted to Greet van Duyn, Brigitte Blauwoff, Michiel Franken and Peter Dam, and to Loutjie den Tex and Koos Levy-van Halm, who carried out most of the research into written sources and archival material. I owe much to discussions with Mr C. A. Burgers of the Rijksmuseum (Amsterdam), Frans Dijkhuizen of the University of Groningen, Dr M. Meier-Siem (Hamburg), Emil Bosshard of the Schweizerisches Institut für Kunstwissenschaft (Zürich), Karin van Nes of the Central Research Laboratory, Jan Diepraam (Amsterdam), Mrs M. G. A. Schipper-van Lottum (Amsterdam) and Truusje Goedings (Amsterdam). In the very beginning the textile experts Dr J. E. Leene and Mrs R. Bolland did the thread-counts of a great number of 17^th-century canvas weaves. They are thanked together with all others who kindly supplied information. Dr Leenee amd Mr Bosshard were kind enough to read through the manuscript and offer useful criticism.