Fontana's Technique

Lavinia Fontana's masterful depiction of ornate fabrics.

The figures in The Visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon (1599) wear fantastic garments made of luxurious fabrics and decorated with intricate patterns. Read on to learn more about the techniques Fontana used to portray these textiles in her painting.

Fabric patterns

Lavinia Fontana painted the intricate pattern of the Queen of Sheba’s gown (detail above) by eye, without the use of a stencil or tracing. She used the wooden end of her brush to create a three-dimensional embossed effect for this leaf pattern.

Silks

Fontana masterfully captured the movement and sheen of silk by using a series of blue glazes with tonal under-modelling. She then added highlights in Lead White, expertly blended at the edges.

Pearls

Pearls feature in abundance in the painting, and Fontana developed a system to portray them consistently throughout the composition. Her individual treatment of pearls, jewels and gold is on display throughout the painting and brings a sense movement and vibrancy to the figures.

This research was carried out as part of the Lavinia Fontana Conservation and Research Project.

Funding for the conservation of this artwork was generously provided through a grant from the Bank of America Art Conservation Project.