History and Revival of Silverpoint
- Silverpoint is a drawing technique using a silver rod or wire.
- Metalpoint styli were used by scribes, craftsmen, and artists since ancient times.
- Lead, tin, and silver were commonly used metals for drawing.
- Silverpoint emerged as a fine line drawing technique in the late Gothic/early Renaissance era.
- Artists who worked in silverpoint include Jan van Eyck, Leonardo da Vinci, and Albrecht Dürer.
- Joseph Meder, Alphonse Legros, and Joseph Stella helped revitalize the silverpoint technique.
- Stella explored silverpoint on zinc white gouache prepared grounds.
- Xavier Martínez taught silverpoint at the California College of the Arts in the early 20th century.
- The Norton Museum of Art curated an exhibition on silverpoint in 1985.
- The National Gallery of Art and the British Museum exhibited silverpoint drawings in 2015.

Characteristics of Silverpoint
- A traditional silverpoint stylus is made with a small rod of silver inserted into a wooden rod.
- Silverpoint lines tarnish to a warm brown tone when exposed to air.
- The oxidation of silverpoint lines becomes perceptible over several months.
- Silverpoint was historically used on parchment and later on prepared supports.
- Silverpoint has been used in a wide range of styles, from curvilinear precision to gestural sketches.

Techniques of Silverpoint
- Silverpoint styli varied in composition from pure silver to heavily alloyed with copper.
- Traditional grounds for silverpoint include rabbit skin glue solution pigmented with bone ash, chalk, and/or lead white.
- Contemporary grounds for silverpoint include acrylic gesso, gouache, and commercially prepared claycoat papers.
- The slight tooth of the ground preparation takes some of the silver as it is drawn across the surface.
- Silverpoint has been adapted to modern styles, such as tonal portraits and abstract compositions.

Artists and Examples of Silverpoint Drawings
- Albrecht Dürer's self-portrait at the age of 13 is considered a masterpiece in silverpoint.
- Rembrandt made silverpoint drawings, including a portrait of his wife Saskia.
- Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres turned to graphite but also used silverpoint in his drawings.
- Thomas Wilmer Dewing created tonal silverpoint portraits in the late 19th century.
- Paula Gerard combined silverpoint, goldpoint, and watercolor in her innovative artwork.
- Ivan Le Lorraine Albright, Carol Prusa, Susan Schwalb, Jeannine Cook, and Elizabeth Whiteley are contemporary artists using the silverpoint technique.

Further Reading and Additional Resources
- References and further reading materials on silverpoint technique and history.
- Examples of silverpoint drawings, including works by Pedro de Lemos.
- Additional resources such as exhibition catalogues, books, and articles related to silverpoint.
- Wikimedia Commons has media related to silverpoint drawings.

Silverpoint (Wikipedia)

Silverpoint (one of several types of metalpoint) is a traditional drawing technique and tool first used by medieval scribes on manuscripts.