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'The greatest living critic': Christiana Herringham and the practise of connoisseurship

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posted on 2023-06-09, 06:23 authored by Meaghan ClarkeMeaghan Clarke
Christiana Herringham (1851–1929) was a founder and benefactor of the National Art Collections Fund in 1903. Her career as an artist and art writer is less well known. Herringham undertook early experimentation with tempera painting alongside her translation of Cennino Cennini’s (c.1370–c.1440) treatise on painting techniques. Herringham’s meticulous approach to understanding “medieval art methods” was a catalyst for the foundation of the Society of Painters in Tempera. Her writing for the art press, most notably for the Burlington Magazine where she was on the Consultative Committee, reveals her expertise on the technical aspects of connoisseurship. This article traces the development of Herringham’s “scientific” method and highlights her pivotal role in a series of interconnecting networks. Knowledge and understanding of techniques and materials gave her a particular authority, just at the point that art history as a discipline was developing. Herringham’s interventions point to the need for a re-evaluation of male-centered narratives about the formation of art history.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Accepted version

Journal

Visual Resources

ISSN

0197-3762

Publisher

Taylor & Francis

Issue

1-2

Volume

33

Page range

94-116

Department affiliated with

  • Art History Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2017-05-24

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2018-12-07

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2017-05-24

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