The discussion about traditional doors, topic121185.html, and the use of wood panels, made me think again about the relationship between art and woodworking skills prior to the adoption of canvas as a medium for painting. Early Flemish paintings were all painted on wood such as oak, beech, poplar and sometimes walnut. Whilst some were quite small, others were of a reasonable size e.g. this one by Hans Memling which is 51 inches by 63 inches
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File ... 8_1490.jpg
However, some of the altarpieces are huge
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghent_Alt ... s_open.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaune_Altarpiece
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File ... nheim1.jpg
Whilst much is, rightly, made of the artists, I’ve never been able to find out anything about the woodworkers who managed to create such huge panels which have perfectly flat faces and have to cope with the effects of wood movement. Admittedly, the majority of these works of art would have been in churches which, at the time, would not have much by way of heating and, consequently, not have the degree of temperature variations that we get in modern buildings but even so.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File ... 8_1490.jpg
However, some of the altarpieces are huge
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghent_Alt ... s_open.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaune_Altarpiece
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File ... nheim1.jpg
Whilst much is, rightly, made of the artists, I’ve never been able to find out anything about the woodworkers who managed to create such huge panels which have perfectly flat faces and have to cope with the effects of wood movement. Admittedly, the majority of these works of art would have been in churches which, at the time, would not have much by way of heating and, consequently, not have the degree of temperature variations that we get in modern buildings but even so.