Silverpoint

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Silverpoint is a traditional drawing technique first used by Medieval scribes on manuscripts.

History

Metalpoints--lead, tin and silverpoint--were used for centuries as underdrawing by scribes, illuminators and craftsman of the Middle Ages. In the late Gothic/early Renaissance era, silverpoint was increasingly utilized as a fine line drawing technique. Artists who worked in silverpoint include Jan van Eyck, Leonardo da Vinci, Albrecht Durer and Raphael. Cennino Cennini's "Il Libro dell'Arte" describes the practice of silver and leadpoint drawing, as well as preparing metalpoint grounds, in the late 14th century. (Thompson, 1933; Duval, et al, 2004)

As noted by Francis Ames-Lewis, drawing styles changed at the end of the 16th century resulting in a sharp decline for metalpoint. Artists sought more gestural qualities for which red and black chalk were better suited. In addition, other techniques required less effort. The preparation of silverpoint supports, usually with hide glue with finely ground bone ash, was labor intensive. Natural chalks and charcoal have the advantage of producing immediate results on uncoated papers. (Ames-Lewis, 2000)

Dutch artists Hendrik Goltzius and Rembrandt van Rijn maintained the silverpoint tradition into the 17th century, as it declined in other parts of Europe. Rembrandt made several silverpoints on prepared vellum, the best-known being the portrait of his wife Saskia, 1633 (KdZ1152, Berlin). However, artists who continued the tradition of fine line drawing, such as J. A. D. Ingres, turned to graphite, which gradually improved in quality and availability throughout Europe since the 1600's. Silverpoint was rendered obsolete by the 18th century. (Reiche, 2005)

Revival

Joseph Meder (Das Buchlein vom Silbersteft, 1909), Alphonse Legros, the Pre-Raphaelites and Joseph Stella helped revitalize the technique. Art historian Meder created interest in the traditional technique in Austria and Germany, while artist/teacher Legros did likewise in England. In the early 20th century, Joseph Stella was one of the few American artists working in the technique. Stella explored the technique on zinc white gouache prepared grounds, often with crayon and other media. Stella's silverpoint oevre includes the 1921 portrait of Marcel Duchamp (MoMA, Katherine S. Dreier Bequest).(Haskell, 1994)

Silverpoint achieved greater contemporary recognition after a groundbreaking exhibit, "The Fine Line: Drawing with Silver in America" was curated for the Norton Museum of Art, in 1985 by Bruce Weber. The exhibition featured a wide range of styles including Thomas Wilmer Dewing, John Wilde and Paula Gerard. The most recent museum exhibition was "The Luster of Silver" at the Telfair Museum of Art, Savannah, GA, in 2006.

Characteristics

Silverpoint has unique characteritics suitable for fine line drawing. It is finer than leadpoint, yet softer and more workable than copper. The initial marks are grey as other metalpoints, however, silverpoint lines in time tarnish to a warm brown tone.

Historically, silverpoint styli ranged widely in composition from pure silver to heavily alloyed with copper (over 20% weight). Similarly, the shapes of the styli are widely varied. Joseph Meder illustrated many traditional expamples in "Das Buchleim von Silbersteft" (1909), while "The craft of Old Master drawing" (1957) by James Watrous also includes contemporary designs. Styli may be cast in metal—such as brass—and tipped with silver. Another option is a wooden holder with silver wire from a jeweler. The gauge of silver wire used is determined by individual preferences of the artists. (Duval, 2004; Reiche, 2004/2005; Watrous, 1957)

In the Middle Ages, metalpoint was used directly on parchment for the underdrawing of illuminated manuscripts. On uncoated parchment and paper, silverpoint is particulary light in value. However, since the 14th Century, silverpoint came to be used with greater effect with prepared supports. A traditional ground may be prepared with a rabbit skin glue solution pigmented with bone ash, chalk and/or lead white. Contemporary grounds include acrylic gesso, gouache and commercially prepared claycoat papers. The slight tooth made by the ground preparation takes a little of the silver as it is drawn across the surface.

Silverpoint has encompassed a wide range of styles from Durer's curvi-linear precison to Rembrandt's gestural sketches. Silverpoint has also proven adaptable to modern styles. Thomas Wilmer Dewing's late 19th Century silverpoint portraits are essentially tonal, as are Paula Gerard's mid-20th Century abstract compositions. Gerard's "Vortex" (Fairweather Hardin Gallery) is an innovative combination of silverpoint, goldpoint and watercolor on casein-coated parchment. (Weber, 1985)

Old Master silverpoints typically have an intimate scale, recalling the technique's roots in manuscript illumination. However, modern artists have also utilized this fine line technique for works on an increasingly large scale. John Wilde's "The Great Autobiographical Silverpoint Drawing" (The Art Institute of Chicago 1986.8) which is 38 x 91", is one notable example of the surprising range of this ancient drawing technique. (Weber, 1985)

External links

• Cleveland Museum of Art site on Metalpoint
• Silverpoint Web Complete silverpoint drawing information
• Scherer and Ouporov artists working with silverpoint
• Victor Koulbak artist working with silverpoint
• Tom Mazzullo professional artist working in silverpoint
• Susan Schwalb abstract metalpoint drawings
• Jeannine Cook artist working in silverpoint
• Stacy Brown, artist working in silverpoint
• Canadian drawing master Gerrit Verstraete working in silverpoint
• online blog to educate and discuss about silverpoint

LITERATURE

Ames-Lewis, Francis. Drawing in Early Renaissance Italy. Yale University Press, 2000.

Cennini, Cennino. The Craftsman's Handbook. Translated by Daniel V. Thompson, Jr. New York: Dover Publications, Inc. 1933, by Yale University Press.

Duval, Alain et al. "Particle induced X-ray emission: a valuable tool for the analysis of metalpoint," Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B 226 (2004), 60-74.

Haskell, Barbara. Joseph Stella. New York: Whitney Museum of American Art, distributed by Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1994.

Meder, Joseph. Das Buchleim von Silbersteft: Ein Trachtatlein fur Moler. Vienna: Gerlach and Wielding, 1909.

Reiche, Ina et al. "Spatially resolved synchroton radiation induced X-ray fluorescence analyses of rare Rembrandt silverpoint drawings," Applied Physics A 83 (2006), 163-173.

Reiche, Ina et al. "Spatially resolved sychroton-induced X-ray fluorescence analyses of metal point drawings and their mysterious inscription," Spectrochimica Acta Part B 59 (2004), 1657-1662.

Watrous, James. The craft of Old Master drawings. Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press, 1957.

Weber, Bruce et al. The Fine Line. Drawing with Silver in America. Exhibition catalogue. West Palm Beach, FL: Norton Gallery and School of Art, 1985.