Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, German (active Switzerland), 1880–1938; Portrait of Gerti (verso), dated 1907 [1910-11]; oil on canvas; 31 3/4 x 27 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Given by Sam J. Levin and Audrey L. Levin 26:1992
Concealed Layers: Uncovering Expressionist Paintings
March 15–October 27, 2024- Location
- Caro Nichols Holmes Gallery 214 and Sherry and Gary Wolff Gallery 215
A painting’s surface hides a wealth of information that can only be found using advanced methods of conservation science. Concealed Layers: Uncovering Expressionist Paintings presents new discoveries made during an ambitious three-year study of the Museum’s world-class collection of German Expressionist paintings. Complete underpaintings, a lost title, and studio graffiti are just some of the exciting findings that will receive their public debut.
Concealed Layers invites visitors to discover the world of conservation research and experience behind-the-scenes technical revelations. At the Museum, 48 German Expressionist paintings were meticulously examined and documented with photography. High-powered microscopy and ultraviolet fluorescence identified artist materials and historic restorations, while x-radiography and infrared reflectography revealed hidden layers.
From this vast trove of research, 11 paintings were selected for the exhibition, along with extensive conservation images and examples of the tools and materials used during research. The paintings include Ernst Ludwig Kirchner’s monumental Circus Rider, Oskar Kokoschka’s double self-portrait The Painter II (Painter and Model II), and Vasily Kandinsky’s Murnau with Locomotive, one of his last figurative paintings. All reveal insights into the artists’ studio practices. The exhibition and conservation research initiative were undertaken in conjunction with the Museum’s new collection catalogue, German Expressionism: Paintings at the Saint Louis Art Museum (to be published March 2024).
Concealed Layers: Uncovering Expressionist Paintings is curated by Courtney Books, associate paintings conservator, and Melissa Venator, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Assistant Curator of Modern Art.
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, German (active Switzerland), 1880–1938; Portrait of Gerti, dated 1907 [1910-11]; oil on canvas; 31 3/4 x 27 3/4 in. (80.6 x 70.5 cm); Saint Louis Art Museum, Given by Sam J. Levin and Audrey L. Levin 26:1992
Technical imaging guide
Technical imaging allows researchers to see past the visible surface of a painting to reveal hidden details and examine underlying material layers.
Common imaging techniques include pairing front and back (verso), raking light, and specular light photography with light sources that operate within the visible light spectrum (e.g., incandescent light bulbs). More advanced techniques, such as ultraviolet-induced fluorescence photography, infrared reflectography, and X-radiography, use sensors and light sources that operate outside the visible light spectrum.
Click below to view technical images and conservation commentary for each painting in the exhibition.