The Back of the Painting. Secrets and stories from art conservation

Book Review 

by Philippa Hadlow 

Reading time: 2 minutes 

The Back of the Painting. Secrets and stories from art conservation
By Linda Waters, Sarah Hilary, and Jenny Sherman

Te Papa Press, 2021
Too new for a rating

When we visit an art gallery, we walk with our heads cocked; we turn, pause, take a double take, stop, and gaze. We want to be wowed or at the very least prodded, provoked. We are prepared to feel awe, shock, love – any emotion really, except indifference. The works of art displayed before us are depictions from the artist’s soul – we want to visually involve ourselves and dive deep.

But what lies on the other side of that beautifully-stretched piece of canvas? What does the waft and weave of the fabric tell us, the numbers etched in ink, the glue and tacking that adhere it to the frame, the hooks that allow it to be hung, the stains of paint pigmentation, or the surprise to be had from the faint outlines of the artist’s first sketch … and how much more insight can we glean from finding out?

The Back of the Painting by Linda Waters, Sarah Hillary, and Jenny Sherman shares an unusual angle to the art world you’ve probably never considered. The three authors are distinguished painting conservators themselves, also known as the ‘detectives of the art world’.

Using scientific techniques to respectfully analyse the backs of 33 paintings, ranging from 15^th century artworks to the present day, Waters, Hillary, and Sherman complete the imagery that we see in a different light from the front of the work.

That visual imagery is enhanced by the book’s gorgeous colour plates of the paintings – and of course, their undersides. There are funny stories to be told, poignant messages revealed, and high drama explained – like when Tissot’s Still on top, 1925, was stolen from Auckland Art Gallery in 1998, then found and restored, a process that took over two years.

From Claude Lorrain to Ralph Hotere to Colin McCahon to Helen Calder, the authors chose to analyse paintings according to what they held dear – familiar works, too, those that resonated and, naturally, those that had the most to say. 

About the authors and where the collections are held

Linda Waters is Conservator Paintings at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. She has expertise in the microscopy and analysis of paint cross sections and has undertaken research on artists’ pigments.

Sarah Hillary is Principal Conservator at the Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki. She specialises in the study of historical artists’ techniques and is also a practising artist. 

Jenny Sherman is the Conservator at Dunedin Public Art Gallery. She specialises in European Old Master paintings with particular emphasis on Italian works. 

Get more stories and reviews in the original issue in PDF or PRINT.

PDF Issue 2, Jun 2021
NZ$5.99