A panel discussion focusing on the collaborative research between art historians and conservators examined in the newly released Getty publication Drawing on Blue: European Drawings on Blue Paper, 1400s–1700s, and associated exhibition, Drawing on Blue (January 30 – April 28, 2024). The participating panelists include an art historian, conservator, and papermaker who dive deeply into the historic process of how blue paper was made and used in early modern Europe. The conversation will be followed by a tour of two participating Master Drawings New York galleries to view examples of drawings on blue paper that illustrate the concepts and research discussed by the panelists.

The publication Drawing on Blue: European Drawings on Blue Paper, 1400s–1700s will be available for purchase at the event.

Moderated by:
Margaret Holben Ellis, Eugene Thaw Professor Emerita of Paper Conservation, NYU
Margaret Holben Ellis has taught the conservation treatment of prints and drawings, as well as technical connoisseurship for art historians. She has published and lectured on artists ranging from Raphael, Dürer, and Leonardo to Pollock, Samaras, Lichtenstein, and Dubuffet. Her research on artists’ materials and techniques is similarly wide-ranging and encompasses Day-Glo colors, Magic Markers, and Crayola crayons. At present, she serves as Exhibition Paper Conservator for Willem de Kooning: Drawing for the Art Institute of Chicago.

Panelists:
Edina Adam, Assistant Curator, J. Paul Getty Museum
Edina Adam earned her PhD from the Institute of Fine Arts, New York, where she wrote her dissertation on Jacopo Ligozzi and migrant artists in Florence ca. 1600. At the Getty, her projects have included Artists on the Move, Michelangelo: Mind of a Master, and William Blake: Visionary.

Leila Sauvage, Conservator, Rijksmuseum and lecturer, University of Amsterdam
Leila Sauvage is paper conservator at the Rijksmuseum and lecturer in book and paper conservation at the University of Amsterdam. Graduated from the Sorbonne University conservation program, she has focused on the conservation and materiality of pastel paintings. As part of the Blue Paper Research Consortium, she investigates the materials, manufacture and degradation of historical blue papers.

Donald Farnsworth, Artist, Papermaker, Magnolia Editions
Donald Farnsworth, the founder of Magnolia Editions, is an artist and publisher known for his groundbreaking work in Jacquard tapestry, ceramic tile, and papermaking. He has collaborated with renowned artists like Kiki Smith, Hung Liu, Chuck Close, and Enrique Chagoya, pushing the boundaries of traditional printmaking techniques. Farnsworth has been a prominent figure in the art world since the 1970s, contributing articles and teaching at various institutions. His current emphasis is on recreating Renaissance paper and crafting portraits that incorporate ancient textures, showcasing his ongoing exploration of the intersection between art and science.

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Additional resources related to the study of paper making and blue paper:

Blue Paper Research.org – Organizer of blue paper making workshops. Hosted and organized by panelist and conservator Leila Sauvage with paper makers, book binders and master dyers.

Magnolia Paper – pdf publications on papermaking by Magnolia Editions, available for download.

Background: European Papermaking Techniques 1300-1800

The International Association of Paper Historians: index of all the terms referencing papermaking tools and techniques.

Book to purchase: European Hand Papermaking Traditions: Tools and Techniques

This event is organized by The Drawing Foundation in partnership with the Conservation Center of the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University in association with Master Drawings New York 2024.

Image: Claude Lorrain (Claude Gellée) (French, 1604/1605? – 1682), Figures in a Landscape before a Harbor, late 1630s. Pen and brown ink, reddish brown wash, and white gouache heightening, on blue paper, 23.8 x 33.8 cm (9 3/8 x 13 5/16 in.). The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, 82.GA.80