On traces of the past

B-Side Ferdinand Bol is part of the B-Side Agnes Etherington series because of the number of labels and other bits of information we find. The labels span a long period, but don’t look to be nearly as old as the work, which was produced in 1643. There labels range from small stamps with handwritten notes to a bar code from Christie’s from, presumably, around 2014. There are a lot of wax crayon marks hastily written on the frame, some holes drilled with metal bars that would have served as a hanging system, as well as a set of contemporary hook eyes. From my untrained eye, I would say that both the frame and the stretcher have been replaced along the way. The only part of the work that has survived all this time is the canvas itself. I am attracted to the way the back of the work is treated as a blackboard for the auctioneers, collection managers and conservation workers. It is drilled, nailed, scrawled on, glued and labeled.

On the aesthetic of the verso

B-Side Anonymous English School has been reframed relatively recently and the back of the painting has been reinforced to prevent the wooden paneling from splitting more than it already has. There are only a few labels. Note that the artist is identified as “Cranach” on the labels, but the official designation is “Anonymous.” This distinction emerges from the work of scholars and highlights some of the hurdles that go with finding the correct attribution for a historical work.

The contrasts between the ages of the repairs, the new frame and the original wood backing come together in a graphic combination that is briefly interrupted by the stickers.