The articles in this issue emerge from the research project Whistler’s Finish, a year-long international conservation research project led by Tate in advance of a major retrospective of James McNeill Whistler’s work at Tate Britain, London, in 2026. Funded by the Lunder Foundation and in partnership with the Colby College Museum of Art, Waterville, and the Hunterian, University of Glasgow, the project brought together curatorial, conservation and scientific research to investigate the nature of Whistler’s painted ‘finish’. The contributions to this special issue draw on technical analysis, conservation treatment, correspondence and other archival sources to provide new insight into the artist’s construction of surfaces.
In addition to the articles on Whistler, the issue includes technical analysis of two paintings by Bridget Riley, undertaken as part of another research project at Tate, and an essay by the artist Lisa Milroy, who reflects on her search for new surfaces and supports for painting.
