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contrecollé

English translation: glued onto secondary [paper] support

14:03 Sep 16, 2007
French to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Art, Arts & Crafts, Painting / Catalogue of art exhibition
French term or phrase: contrecollé
From the catalogue of an exhibition on the history of European art (I don't have illustrations) context:
"Léonard de Vinci, Tête de vieillard de profil tourné vers la droite:
Vers 1485 - 1490
Papier contrecollé, encre brune.
Cette feuille possède un petit format qui correspond aux carnets que le peintre emportait constamment avec lui ..."
Thanks in advance for suggestions.
Jennifer Forbes
Local time: 17:45
English translation:glued onto secondary [paper] support
Explanation:
I believe the Metropolitan Museum of Art (NYC) uses this description for your specific da Vinci drawing.

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Note added at 6 hrs (2007-09-16 20:49:52 GMT)
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<http://www.metmuseum.org/special/Leonardo_Master_Draftsman/d...

#59

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Note added at 6 hrs (2007-09-16 20:54:45 GMT)
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Head of an Old Man in Profile Facing to the Right
Leonardo da Vinci (Vinci, 1452–Cloux, 1519)
Pen and brown ink; 126 x 104 mm (4 15/16 x 4 1/16 in.); irregular borders; glued onto secondary paper support
Biblioteca Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, Milan Cod. F. 263 inf. 78
Selected response from:

David Vaughn
Local time: 18:45
Grading comment
Thank you, Vaughn. I've used your suggestion as it appears to refer to the actual Leonardo drawing concerned.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +1mounted
B D Finch
3 +1glued paper
Bourth (X)
4glued onto secondary [paper] support
David Vaughn
4paper on paper
Claire Chapman
2 +1laminated / heavy / thick
Paul Cohen


  

Answers


36 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): +1
laminated / heavy / thick


Explanation:
Today, we might call it laminated paper.

See: http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=32632

However, I have no clue what kind of paper de Vinci used for his sketch pads. This paper would have a 200g+ density, so perhaps you could get away with "heavy paper" or "thick paper".

Perhaps "paperboard"??


Paul Cohen
Greenland
Local time: 15:45
Meets criteria
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you, Paul.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Claire Chapman: laminated paper
2 hrs
neutral  David Vaughn: Just to clarify that it is not da Vinci who glued the sketch; it was done later.
14 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
glued paper


Explanation:
Quite apart from anything "papier contrecollé" might be in its own right, I rather suspect this is a shortened form of "contrecollé sur XXX" (carton, bois, toile).

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Note added at 1 hr (2007-09-16 15:47:38 GMT)
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It would appear "pasted" is said rather than "glued", but I have not been able to find any reference relating to da Vinci. All they seem to say is "paper", without further specification.

Bourth (X)
Local time: 18:45
Does not meet criteria
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 94
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you, Bourth.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Melzie: I'd go for pasted being the 'older' term ... http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=32632
1 hr
neutral  B D Finch: Paste and glue are not the same thing. Paste is starch-based, glue used to be made from animal skins. I don't know the chemical difference, but believe there is still a distinction.
17 hrs
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
glued onto secondary [paper] support


Explanation:
I believe the Metropolitan Museum of Art (NYC) uses this description for your specific da Vinci drawing.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 hrs (2007-09-16 20:49:52 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

<http://www.metmuseum.org/special/Leonardo_Master_Draftsman/d...

#59

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 hrs (2007-09-16 20:54:45 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Head of an Old Man in Profile Facing to the Right
Leonardo da Vinci (Vinci, 1452–Cloux, 1519)
Pen and brown ink; 126 x 104 mm (4 15/16 x 4 1/16 in.); irregular borders; glued onto secondary paper support
Biblioteca Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, Milan Cod. F. 263 inf. 78

David Vaughn
Local time: 18:45
Meets criteria
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 289
Grading comment
Thank you, Vaughn. I've used your suggestion as it appears to refer to the actual Leonardo drawing concerned.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
mounted


Explanation:
The term generally used for fixing a work to a more robust support or backing.

"It is an oil on paper mounted on canvas that is dated 1959 and measures 29 5/8 .... article on the Contemporary Art day auction at Christie's in Spring 2002 ..."
www.thecityreview.com/s03scon1.html

"Sotheby's Old Master paintings sale on Jan. ... an oil on paper mounted on panel, titled Bust-Length Portrait of an Old Man with a Beard (En Brunaille) ..."
www.artnet.com/magazine_pre2000/news/tully/tully2-10-97.asp

"Acquired Christies, London, 1936, at the H. Oppenheimer sale (1425). ... On the back of the paper on which the drawing is mounted is the inscription ..."
www.aucklandartgallery.govt.nz/research/digitalresources/do...

B D Finch
France
Local time: 18:45
Meets criteria
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 123
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you, BD. I'll bear "mounted" in mind for future use.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  jean-jacques alexandre: Yep, that's usually the prefere term for this kind of work
9 hrs
  -> Thanks. Perhaps the Met is trying to be more specific, but how else would one mount a drawing except with glue?
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
paper on paper


Explanation:
This is a paper glued to a paper, which makes it a laminate. A German art supply company defines "contrecollé" as "papier sur papier" and I did find one example of artwork referred to as being on "paper on paper." Since that is also from a German site, it may be their particular way of defining it. In any case, it makes it clear what it is.

Wikipédia Carton - contrecollés
En fait un carton est souvent par nature un contrecollé.
• carton recouvert : recouvert sur une face de feuille d'aluminium et/ou de feuille de polyéthylène fine pour l'emballage de liquides alimentaires,
• contrecollé couleur à âme blanche et contrecollé couleurs (encadrement, etc.),
• carton plume : feuille de mousse polyuréthane rigide et épaisse (2 à 5mm), collée entre deux feuilles de carton couché très mince (disponibles en feuilles de format 40x50cm). Ce panneau se découpe facilement sans se déformer avec un outil type cutter,
• carte à gratter : carton blanc revêtu d'une surface vernie noire sur laquelle on grave avec une plume permettant les pleins et les déliés.
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carton_(matériau)

Existe aussi en carton de dessin (papier sur carton) de 1,5 mm d’épaisseur
et en contrecollé (papier sur papier) de 0,5 mm d’épaisseur.
http://www.artdb.be/AQU_NL_ArtDB.pdf

François-Hubert Drouais
Rokoko
Portrait of Madame du Barry (1743-93) (pastel and **paper on paper**)
RVI103408
Versandfertig in: 9 Werktag/en
http://www.kunstkopie.de/a/paris-private-collection.html


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Note added at 14 hrs (2007-09-17 05:02:58 GMT)
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Backings on old master drawings are very common. Except for important portraits or presentation pieces, these works were not framed, but were glued or pasted into portfolios and albums or laid down to card or laminated sheets of paper. They were prepared this way by collectors and by artists so that they could be handled for study or for copying in the studio or academy. These early mounts generally were of the same quality of the work of art they supported even when they were not contemporaneous with it.
http://aic.stanford.edu/sg/bpg/annual/v08/bp08-07.html

Claire Chapman
Local time: 12:45
Does not meet criteria
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 14
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you for your help.

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