The so-called Danish Golden Age of painting coincided with a particularly beer-crazed era for the nation.
It’s said that art imitates life, but painters in 19th century Denmark really took that adage to heart. The so-called Danish Golden Age of painting, which lasted from about 1800 to 1850, coincided with a particularly beer-crazed era for the nation. A new study out today infor their masterpieces.
Painters during the Danish Golden Age are known for combining realistic scenes with soft, radiant light. To prepare a blank canvas, artists would prime it using substances that help pigments stick to the woven fabric. Today, painters most often use an acrylic polymer known as gesso, but 200 years ago, artists turned to a motley variety of substances.
At the same time esteemed painters like Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg—known as the “father of Danish painting”—and his protégé, Christen Schiellerup Købke, were creating their masterpieces, Denmark was awash in the boozy business of beermaking. Danes made and drank massive quantities of beer during this period, as the water from local rivers and wells was often unsafe. That meant lots of leftover beer byproducts.
To find out whether that was true, researchers analyzed the chemical composition of 10 paintings by Eckersberg and Købke. Working with tiny paint swatches about the diameter of a pencil tip that were originally collected during the 1960s, the scientists used mass spectrometry to identify the proteins present in the samples. They found ample quantities of proteins from common beermaking grains, including barley, buckwheat, wheat, and rye.
Identifying these proteins in paintings could help conservationists decide how best to display and preserve paintings, the authors note, as well as help differentiate authentic artwork from forgeries.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
19th century painters may have primed their canvases with beer-brewing leftoversSeveral paintings from the Danish Golden Age contain remnants of brewer’s yeast, barley and other grains commonly used to brew beer.
Read more »
Kendall Jenner Has Golden Hour Highlights, and Now We Want Golden Hour HighlightsShe is serving sun-kissed in a sneak peek at 'The Kardashians.'
Read more »
How to talk to your kids about Death: An age-by-age guide - Today's ParentTalking to your child about death can be daunting, especially when you are also grieving. death grief talkingtokidsaboutdeath
Read more »
Danish astronaut flying on SpaceX shuttle warns Europe not to fall behind in spaceEurope is at risk of falling behind in the global space race and missing out on key technologies, Danish astronaut Andreas Mogensen said ahead of his second trip into space onboard Elon Musk's next SpaceX mission in August.
Read more »
You can now buy a beer without an ID using Amazon's palm recognition techAmazon One is rolling out age verification that now enables customers to purchase alcohol without showing their ID.
Read more »
Bud Light buying back unsold, expired beer from wholesalers as sales continue to suffer: reportBud Light informed wholesalers it would buy back unsold beer once it expires as the company continues to face backlash, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Read more »