Color portrait of the head and shoulders of Jean Dommermuth

Jean Dommermuth

Suzanne Deal Booth Rome Prize
January 11–August 6, 2021
Profession
Lecturer, Conservation Center, Institute of Fine Arts, New York University
Conservator, ArtCare, New York
Project title
Sixteenth-Century Florentine Canvas Painting
Project description

I would conduct research on sixteenth-century Florentine canvas painting, hoping to recontextualize works that were not originally conceived of as independent paintings but rather as parts of elaborate, multimedia productions. There are numerous potential examples in Roman galleries. It is crucial to see the paintings in person, but neither special access nor sophisticated tools are necessary. Direct visual examination in the gallery provides vital evidence about seaming, scalloping, and craquelure indicative of the original construction and later alterations. A database of collected information would be created as would reconstructions. Because such works were made as collaborations with artists in other fields, the American Academy would be an ideal setting for this research.