The subcontracting of art work and its problems in the art-historical research: the case of Leon Picardo

Abstract

Subcontracting, or even the transfer of contracts by painters, has been a common practice in the genesis of altarpieces. This research, focused on the case of Leon Picardo, is intended to reflect the historical and artistic problems of the organization of the artistic workshops through the documents that we have about them. The written sources can be misleading when they serve as a basis for the style of a painter. It forces us therefore to treat the documents and its information with caution