A Delvaux Skeleton in the Attic? Solving a 60-Year-Old Mystery with the Help of Infrared Reflectography
| dc.contributor | Currie, Christina | |
| dc.contributor.author | Currie, Christina | |
| dc.coverage.spatial | Belgium | en_US |
| dc.coverage.temporal | 20th century | en_US |
| dc.date | 2025-08-25 | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-02-13T14:45:44Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-02-13T14:45:44Z | |
| dc.identifier.citation | Christina Currie, " A Delvaux Skeleton in the Attic? Solving a 60-Year-Old Mystery with the Help of Infrared Reflectography", CLUES : Art History at KIK-IRPA (August 25, 2025). Here retrieved February 13, 2026 from https://doi.org/10.58079/14hyg | en_US |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://orfeo.belnet.be/handle/internal/14585 | |
| dc.description | An unsigned painting of a skeleton in a blue cape, tentatively linked to Paul Delvaux, was examined at the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage to clarify its authorship. Although the composition and provenance initially suggested a connection to Delvaux, infrared reflectography (IRR) revealed decisive evidence to the contrary. Features hidden underneath the paint layer, such as block-capital colour notes, and underdrawn motifs of carpenter’s tools link the work to works and preparatory drawings by Emile Salkin, including a 1947 skeleton painting with similar tools and technique. Stylistic links between a reused religious scene on the reverse and Salkin’s known studies further support the attribution. The technical findings firmly reattribute Standing Skeleton with a Blue Cape to Salkin, demonstrating the decisive role of imaging in resolving attribution questions. | en_US |
| dc.language | eng | en_US |
| dc.publisher | KIK-IRPA | en_US |
| dc.publisher | Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage (KIK-IRPA) | en_US |
| dc.title | A Delvaux Skeleton in the Attic? Solving a 60-Year-Old Mystery with the Help of Infrared Reflectography | en_US |
| dc.type | Article | en_US |
| dc.subject.frascati | Arts | en_US |
| dc.audience | Scientific | en_US |
| dc.audience | Educational | en_US |
| dc.audience | General Public | en_US |
| dc.subject.free | Paul Delvaux | en_US |
| dc.subject.free | Emile Salkin | en_US |
| dc.subject.free | infrared reflectography | en_US |
| Orfeo.peerreviewed | No | en_US |
| dc.identifier.doi | https://doi.org/10.58079/14hyg | |
| dc.identifier.url | https://kikirparthis.hypotheses.org/3886 |