Bruce Wood, Author at Woodshed Art Auctions

How Old Is That African Mask?

A few years ago, I added a Near Infra-red (NIR) spectrometer to the small arsenal of tools in our conservation studio. NIR can be used for identifying pigments and binders, and it works by comparing unknown samples to known examples in a library of spectra. Through trial and error, I discovered that NIR has great […]

Discovered: Clues To Picasso’s Painting Method

Last month, Woodshed Art Auctions was consigned a portrait painting of a woman, signed Picasso and dated 1939.  While examining its condition, a few startling things were discovered. Visual inspection revealed that the painting looked like others from the mid-20th century: Dry paint, an even layer of light grime and dust both front and back, […]

Jasper Francis Cropsey Painting Discovered

At the Woodshed Gallery, we never know what masterpiece will arrive next. Our auction consignments are a source of constant fascination. So are the paintings which come to us for cleaning, restoration and conservation. A few months ago a friend arrived with a painting discovered in storage at the estate sale of a Marlboro, Mass […]

What Does Attributed Mean?

Some of the bidders in the Woodshed Art Auctions are confused about a little word in some of the descriptions. I’m often asked “What does it mean — Attributed (to an artist)?”, “Who does the attributing?”, “Is that a guarantee of authenticity?”, “Is there a certificate about the attribution?” If you’ve been wondering about how [...]