Josef Albers was a critical figure in the development of color theory and in the geometric abstraction movement.  Surprisingly, no analytical technical analyses of Albers’s works have been reported to date, perhaps because of the apparent “simplicity” of his geometric compositions or his habit of recording on the backs of his paintings the materials used in their construction.  As part of a Dreyfus Foundation-funded initiative (Project MUSE) to establish collaborations between an art museum and faculty at liberal arts colleges, analytical technical analyses of two of the artist’s “Casa” series of paintings was conducted using multiple analytical methods, including X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, near-infrared luminescence imaging, and infrared reflectography.  The results of this multi-faceted study provide insight into both the limitations of Albers’ notations and his working methods, which subsequently were featured in a recent exhibition at the Indianapolis Museum of Art.

Technical investigation of Josef Albers’s “Casa” series by x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy and imaging studies

251st National Meeting (2016)

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