J.CAC VOLUME 40 (2015)
Early Twentieth-Century Artists’ Paints in Toronto: Archival and Material Evidence
Information about artists’ paints available in Toronto during the first decades of the twentieth century was acquired through the examination of archival material and the analysis of historic paints from the paint box of Kathleen Munn and from a Winsor & Newton specimen tint book. The archival and material evidence revealed that the lead sulfate-zinc white paint commonly used by Tom Thomson and members of the Group of Seven was New Flake White from the Cambridge Colours paint brand. The research also highlighted the prevalence of hydromagnesite (magnesium carbonate hydroxide) in Winsor & Newton paints. This filler, which has been identified in paint from early twentieth-century works by several Canadian painters, is characteristic of Winsor & Newton and is not present in the Cambridge Colours. The information obtained gives useful context to previous research on Tom Thomson’s painting materials, and will also inform future scientific studies of painters active in Toronto during this period, including Group of Seven artists.
Download: JCAC40 Helwig et al