RKD Study places marks on paintings from the northern and southern Netherlands in a historical context

Art historical and technical research

Marks on paintings can provide important clues about the production, dating and provenance of a work of art. Because they are often located on the reverse or edges of a painting, however, they can easily go unnoticed. This RKD Study explains which craftspeople and institutions were responsible for these marks, how they were applied, and what information they can reveal about the material history of paintings.

A Guide to the Marks on Art database

Compiled by Jørgen Wadum, the RKD Study complements the Marks on Art database, which documents thousands of marks and brands. While the database helps researchers locate and compare individual marks, this RKD Study provides the historical, technical and methodological context needed to interpret the data.

The various chapters on marks found on wooden and copper supports are richly illustrated with examples from the database and demonstrate how such marks can contribute to research on artists, workshops and materiality. In addition, twelve different branding irons are identified, showing how they can be recognised and dated on the basis of their shape. The appendices provide an overview of known makers’ marks on panel and copper supports.

Finding a mark in RKD Research

Throughout the RKD Study Marks and Brands on Dutch and Flemish Paintings, numerous images of marks link directly to RKD Research. These links lead to the page for the painting on which the mark appears. More information about the mark can be found at the bottom of the page under ‘Object details’. From there, users can click through to the complete record of the mark in the Marks on Art database.