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Resumen:
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The evolution of art technology is known through different types of sources: archaeological sites, scientific analysis of cultural assets, realia and, of course, different types of literature. Within the latter, perhaps one of the lesser known are patents. However, they are an important source of documentation on different technological developments, directly related to the materials used in the artistic and cultural environment. Therefore, the information they contain is of great interest to historians, engineers, economists, curators and restorers. The antecedents of modern patents date back to the Middle Ages: during the Renaissance the first laws were passed related to their issue and the rights granted to the inventor.
Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, regulations were established in different countries which were quite similar to those existing today. The granting of patents is directly related to the economic situation of a country, and also to market demand. In this sense, throughout the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th, many patents were granted connected with the production of artists’ materials and equipment used by artists. Nowadays, there are numerous databases that facilitate access to this type of document. The general structure of patents is described together with the information they contain, the Internet access systems and, finally, some illustrative examples are presented of their use for art technological research and their evolution over past centuries.
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