Beer was the backdrop to Danish Golden Age masterpieces
Wednesday, May 24, 2023 - 14:13
in Paleontology & Archaeology
It’s said that art imitates life, but painters in 19th century Denmark really took that adage to heart. The so-called Danish Golden Age of painting, which lasted from about 1800 to 1850, coincided with a particularly beer-crazed era for the nation. A new study out today in Science Advances suggests Danish artists used grains and yeast leftover from brewing to prep canvases for their masterpieces. Painters during the Danish Golden Age are known for combining realistic scenes with soft, radiant light. To prepare a blank canvas, artists would prime it using substances that help pigments stick to the woven fabric. Today, painters most often use an acrylic polymer known as gesso, but 200 years...