An Investigation of the Painting Technique in Portraits by Jens Juel

This paper summarizes the findings of the first technical art historical study executed on paintings by the Danish portrait painter Jens Juel. Eight portrait paintings on canvas from two different time periods in the career of Jens Juel have been examined and compared in order to establish the use of materials, working methods and painting techniques, and whether an artistic development can be traced. The findings include the characteristics of the canvas structure and painting grounds, how the canvas was prepared and the artist’s use of underdrawing, as well as the layered build up of the carnation. Attention is also given to how the findings correlate to what is already known about the traditional painting techniques and materials of the era.