Spring Tryout
Item
Title
Spring Tryout
Creator
Thomas Hart Benton
American, 1889-1975
American, 1889-1975
Date
1943
Materials
Lithograph
Measurements
Plate: 9-3/8 x 13-5/8 in. (24.9 x 34.7 cm)
Description
Not all paper is created equal. This lithograph by Thomas Hart Benton suffered from all of the problems that had once inflicted the drypoint by Mary Cassatt hanging nearby, though not by any means with the same severity. It was sent to a paper conservator three years ago, where it too was bathed and bleached, but with less success. The mat burn, caused by acidic material leaking from the edges of the cuts that were made for the mat window, is here still readily visible. The difference in the result stems entirely from the quality of the paper. The Cassatt sheet is made from 100 percent cotton rag. The Benton sheet contains a fair proportion of wood pulp, which makes for a paper that damages more readily, and is far more resistant to treatment.
Source
Palmer Museum of Art, The Pennsylvania State University, Gift of Betty and Edward Mattil.
Identifier
91.180
Rights
This image is posted publicly for non-profit educational uses, excluding printed publication. Other uses are not permitted.