What Is a Painting? podcast | Listen online for free

30 episodes

Episode 30 - A Subject of Controversy, Part 1: The Consecration
2026/09/09 | 29 mins.
What is the story of one painting whose cleaning was objected to?
Episode 29 - Unwanted Material
2026/06/13 | 35 mins.
What is meant by "cleaning" a painting? What materials can be removed from a painting and how is that done?
Episode 28 - The Tears of Trees
2026/01/09 | 33 mins.
How did painters use natural resins to varnish their paintings?
Episode 27 - Higher Ground
2025/10/10 | 27 mins.
How did 16th century Venetian painters vary their ground layers to create different effects?
Episode 26 - Particular Magic
2025/07/25 | 33 mins.
How did Venetian painters of the 16th century use canvas supports and oil medium to create a new kind of painting?

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About What Is a Painting?

What do you see when you look at a painting? You see the subject and the style of the work but also the materials and technologies used to create it and the traces of everything that has happened to it. Professional paintings conservator Jean Dommermuth considers how all of those factors contribute to what a painting is. You don’t need to know anything about art history to enjoy this podcast, but no matter what, you’ll never look at a painting the same way again. You can find images and related materials at jeandommermuth.com/podcast

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