The art of ‘looking’ : a technical analysis of Alexis Preller’s Man in the Sun

Abstract

The study aims to achieve a deeper understanding of the materials and techniques used by Alexis Preller in his early work, Man in the Sun 1936. A survey of the artist’s materials and techniques is of great importance as this information can guide conservators so that appropriate conservation actions can be applied in the future. Furthermore, by investigating Alexis Preller’s Man in the Sun, a greater appreciation and understanding of the painting’s anatomy will be achieved. This work intends to examine and document the materiality and techniques used by Preller through the combination of various historical, visual, and analytical techniques. The analytical techniques used are a preferred response when dealing with the conservation of oil paintings on canvas, because of their non-invasive and non-destructive nature. These techniques include provenance studies, visual examination, technical photography, and X-ray Fluorescence. In combination, the techniques should reveal the materials and techniques Preller used in Man in the Sun.