Konsthistorisk och teknisk undersökning av en målning från Nääs slott

Abstract

The aim of this bachelor thesis is to investigate a painting made of oil paint on canvas which comes from Nääs slott. The painting depicts the motif Elijah and the chariot of fire. Not much was known about the painting except that it was said to have came to Nääs slott from the old church, now a ruin, in Skallsjö parish. The study tries to find out if this is correct and also tries to find any other information regarding the painting. An art historical investigation is conducted which tries to place the painting in a historical context and find answers to who might have painted it, when, and for what use and milieu. The motif of the painting is tracked through collections of graphical prints which was commonly used as models for painting. Archives concerning Skallsjö and Nääs slott are investigated to se if there is any sources which might show if the painting comes from Skallsjö old church and how it ended up in Nääs slott. Technical investigations are carried out on the painting itself with UV-fluorescense, IR-reflectography and SEM-EDX-analysis. The study gives few definitive answers but the context in which it was painted is described and a likely provenance is established. The painting itself is described, and its motif is discussed and shown to share a general likeness with the Elijah-motifs of european prints through a long time period. The art historical study is complemented by the technical investigation which shows which pigments were used. It is also used to discuss the paintings current state of preservation. The study can be used as an illustration of the different methods of analysis available.