Legacy tree-ring dataset reveals rapid use of panels in 17th-century Dutch and Flemish painting workshops

Dendrochronological research of panel paintings provides essential evidence for their dating and attribution. However, the uncertain interval between the tree's felling and a painting's completion, accounting for the transport, seasoning, and storage of the wood, hinders the accurate estimation of production dates. This study combines historical research with an analysis of dendrochronological data from over 1900 17th-century Dutch and Flemish panel paintings to examine the interval between tree felling and painting production, considering additional storage time at artist's workshops. Results show that panels were typically used within 4.6 to 7.5 years of felling (2.8 ± 2.5 years for French/Belgian/German, 3.4 ± 2.4 years for Polish, and 7.8 ± 1.7 years for Eastern Baltic oak). Paintings with boards from the same tree were completed within 1 to 1.8 years from each other. These findings serve to refine estimated production periods based on provenance of the wood and exact dendrochronological dates, aiding in the attribution of disputed artworks.