Unlocking Histories: The Schoenfeld / LUKAS Archive and its Potential for Art Technological Research

Founded in the 1820s as an art supplies shop, the company Schoenfeld/LUKAS soon began manufacturing their own product lines of paints and other artists’ materials. Based in Düsseldorf, Germany, the company received national and international acclaim throughout its continuous production period from 1842 to 2013. Numerous leading European artists used Schoenfeld/ LUKAS paints, including van Gogh, Whistler, Hodler, Munch, Kandinsky and Beckmann. Over the years, the company compiled an extensive collection of paint recipes, price lists, brochures and material samples, which now comprises the Schoenfeld/Lukas archive. In 2018, this archive was permanently loaned to the Conservation Centre Düsseldorf (Restaurierungszentrum der Landeshauptstadt Düsseldorf, Germany), and it is currently undergoing transformation to make it accessible for art technological research. This preliminary study explores the history of the company and takes an initial look at its rich collection of art materials. Two case studies serve to demonstrate how access to the archive can benefit research on techniques and conservation. Both products, foldable stretchers and petroleum paints, were introduced onto the market in the second half of the 19th century.