When an artist or art gallery presents a new show, they usually will hold a special opening reception, or “vernissage”. This is often by invitation only, and the artist or artists will be present, cocktails and finger food will be served, basically a party. But do you know where the name comes from?
I have been painting, mostly in watercolors, for about 15 years now. Watercolor is a wonderfully simple medium, in that it comes in either a dry or a paste form, is water soluble and dries very quickly. Contrary to popular belief, it can be corrected, at least up to a point, because it will dissolve in water even once it has dried on paper, which is a good thing. This also means that if a finished painting is accidentally exposed to water, or any liquid, it can be ruined, which is obviously a bad thing. That is the reason why watercolors are most often framed under glass, and surrounded by a mat to keep the painting from actually touching the glass. Recently I have started exploring oil painting. Very different from watercolor painting! SO much to learn!! Oil paint is made from pigments mixed with oil, usually linseed oil. It does not dry by evaporation, but rather by oxidation of the oil. This can take a long time. A very long time. Six months to a year depending on how thickly the artist applied the paint. Some argue that the process never really ends. Although all colors are shiny when freshly applied, some of them, especially the darks, may lose some of their shine as they oxidize, causing some areas of the painting to appear dull. Usually this is not desired, so varnish will be applied to even out the sheen. Varnish will also protect the painting’s surface, making it easier to keep clean. The trouble is that varnish dries hard, so it can’t be applied to the still moving (oxidizing) painting until it has stabilized (6 to 12 months). If applied too soon, the varnish will crack as the paint underneath keeps moving. As you might guess, most artists don’t want to wait 6 months to a year before they can sell a new painting. So there is a different kind of varnish, mysteriously called “Retouching Varnish” that can be safely applied to touch-dry oil paintings. Some of you are seeing where this is going…. According to what I have found, in the 19th century, the day before an exhibition officially opened, artists would go to the gallery to give their paintings some finishing touches, including varnishing. Patrons started visiting the exhibition during this “varnishing day”, and this eventually led to the now current practice of inviting friends and collectors to a show’s “vernissage”. Thankfully there is little or no retouching done at a vernissage today. I can’t imagine varnish fumes with my smoked salmon canapé, can you?
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AuthorMy name is Claire Bureau. Archives
March 2023
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