Josef Albers (American, 1888–1976) Study to Homage to the Square: From Inside (detail),1959, oil on Masonite, Alice F. and Harris K. Weston Collection of Post-World War II, Modern and Contemporary Art, 2020.309

Detail showing cleaning test and small paint loss

When the painting arrived in the conservation lab for treatment, I was delighted to confirm the painting’s verso contained not only the artist’s title, signature, and date, but also contained a complete list of all materials he used to create the image. Albers was known for keeping meticulous notes on materials he used to create his work (what an excellent practice!), and in the case of Homage to the Square/From Inside, he detailed the following on the back of the Masonite panel:

Ground:

• DuPont Flat White
• DuPont semigloss white alkyd enamel

(several coats of both)

Painting:

(paints used, from center)

• Emerald Green (Winsor & Newton)
• Cobalt Green (Winsor & Newton)
• Cobalt Green (Lefebvre)

Albers's note: “all in one primary coat and directly from the tube, no additional mixing, no additional painting medium”

Varnish:

• Methacrylate resin in xylene solvent

Josef Albers (American, 1888–1976) Study to Homage to the Square: From Inside (verso), 1959, oil on Masonite, Alice F. and Harris K. Weston Collection of Post-World War II, Modern and Contemporary Art, 2020.309

Verso, normal light

Albers was often interested in highlighting how the same colors could be visualized differently based on environment—from lighting and spatial relationships to the manufacturers themselves. Homage to the Square/From Inside is one of many examples where Albers utilized the same paint color twice, but due to the differences in manufacturing between Winsor & Newton and Lefebvre and the application methods Albers employed to create this composition, we as viewers see the same pigment as two slightly different colors.

As a conservator, this information is invaluable for my practice. I not only have a clear idea of what materials were used to make this painting—in this case, the excellent quality paints manufactured by Winsor & Newton and Lefebvre—but also now have a clear reference to exact pigments. This information made it much easier to color match during the retouching stage and gave me a better understanding of how the pigments will most likely continue to age over time.

Josef Albers (American, 1888–1976) Study to Homage to the Square: From Inside, 1959, oil on Masonite, Alice F. and Harris K. Weston Collection of Post-World War II, Modern and Contemporary Art, 2020.309

Before and after, normal light

Before treatment (left, notice paint loss in upper left-hand corner) and after treatment (right)

Study to Homage to the Square/From Inside will be on view in Gallery 105 until February 9, 2026.