In this contribution we investigated the red pigments which were used for painting the plastered ... more In this contribution we investigated the red pigments which were used for painting the plastered walls in different Roman settlements within the borders of modern-day Nijmegen. After discovering that varieties of red ochre on the painted walls of a first-century house in Oppidum Batavorum could be distinguished chemically, it was found that various types of this pigment were used at other locations as well. One type of red ochre was without characteristic trace elements, while other varieties contained respectively high and low trace amounts of arsenic, some contained barium sulphate as a trace mineral, and others had varying trace amounts of lead. The red ochre with barium sulphate was not only found on the walls of the house in Oppidum Batavorum and contemporary plaster remains found at a different location, but also on second-century plaster fragments from Ulpia Noviomagus. Two types of red ochre with arsenic as trace element, lead-containing red ochres, and ochres without trace elements were present on the plaster fragments from both Oppidum Batavorum and Ulpia Noviomagus. Therefore, no relationship was found between a specific type of ochre and a period or location of use. The chemical characteristics may help in determining the origin of the pigment, but much work is still needed to draw definitive conclusions.
This research was carried out to assess the feasibility of dry ice blasting as a replacement for ... more This research was carried out to assess the feasibility of dry ice blasting as a replacement for solvent cleaning for the removal of organic layers from metal cultural heritage objects. The effects of dry ice blasting on test samples of aluminium, bronze and weathering steel were studied along with its effectiveness at removing organic layers from four objects. Metal surfaces were studied in detail before and after cleaning using light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). It was possible to remove wax layers from most of the metal samples. The removal of spray paint from aluminium was very successful, however, its removal from weathering steel proved very difficult. The gradual removal of patina/corrosion from weathering steel and bronze was possible without damaging the substrate. Results indicate that dry ice blasting is a good alternative to other air abrasive methods, such as sandblasting or walnut shell blasting.
Van Gogh’s choice of wax-based drawing media confirms the impression that he was an unconventiona... more Van Gogh’s choice of wax-based drawing media confirms the impression that he was an unconventional pioneer, ahead of his time and his contemporaries.
GlazeArt2018 : proceedings : International Conference Glazed Ceramics in Cultural Heritage, 2018
Citation for published version (APA): van Lookeren Campagne, K., Megens, L., & van Bommel, M. (20... more Citation for published version (APA): van Lookeren Campagne, K., Megens, L., & van Bommel, M. (2018). Understanding 17th-18th century Dutch Tin-glaze Through the Interpretation and Reconstruction of Historical Recipes. In S. Pereira, M. Menezes, & J. Delgado Rodrigues (Eds.), GlazeArt2018 : proceedings : International Conference Glazed Ceramics in Cultural Heritage, Lisboa, 2018 (pp. 150-164). Lisboa: Laboratório Nacional Engenharia Civil.
Vincent van Gogh's Sunflowers are seen by many as icons of Western European art. Two of these... more Vincent van Gogh's Sunflowers are seen by many as icons of Western European art. Two of these masterpieces — the first version painted in August 1888 (The National Gallery, London) and the painting made after it in January 1889 (Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam) — have been the subject of a detailed comparison by an interdisciplinary team of experts. The pictures were examined in unprecedented depth using a broad array of techniques, including state-of-the-art, non-invasive imaging analytical methods, to look closely at and under the paint surface. Not only the making, but also the subsequent history of the works was reconstructed, including later campaigns of restoration. The study’s conclusions are set out in this book, along with the fascinating genesis of the paintings and the sunflower’s special significance to Van Gogh. More than 30 authors, all specialists in the field of conservation, conservation science and art history, have contributed to the research and publication presen...
A glass bead from a Late Bronze Age cremation grave in Ooijen-Wanssum (the Netherlands) was found... more A glass bead from a Late Bronze Age cremation grave in Ooijen-Wanssum (the Netherlands) was found to be of the LMHK (low magnesium high potassium; also mixed-alkali) type of glass, which, as far as known, only occurs in Europe during the Late Bronze Age. It might be related to the production site at Frattesina in Italy.
De kraal uit een crematiegraf uit de late bronstijd in Ooijen-Wanssum is van het zogenaamde LMHK (low magnesium high potassium ook wel mixed-alkali) type, dat voor zover bekend in de late bronstijd alleen in Europa voorkwam. In het Noord-Italiaanse Frattesina is bewijs gevonden voor de productie van glas in de Late Bronstijd, waar dit type glas geproduceerd werd. De kraal is met koper turquoise gekleurd, zoals gebruikelijk bij LMHK glas, en is waarschijnlijk in het vuur van de crematie vervormd.
Paper (written and presented in Italian) on the archaeometric evidence for a Ligurian provenance ... more Paper (written and presented in Italian) on the archaeometric evidence for a Ligurian provenance of a large group of imported compendiario faience from Dutch soil, produced in and traded from Albissola in the first half of the 17th century. Paper presented on the "ATTI LI Convegno Internazionale della Ceramica 2018" in the Complesso Monumentale del Priàmar in Savona.
Aan de Zuidweg, even ten zuiden van de dorpskern van Naaldwijk, is een groot aantal sporen en von... more Aan de Zuidweg, even ten zuiden van de dorpskern van Naaldwijk, is een groot aantal sporen en vondsten uit de Romeinse tijd en de Middeleeuwen te voorschijn gekomen. De onderzoekslocatie ligt op een steenworp afstand van de opgravingen van Jan Hendrik Holwerda, die in de jaren 30 van de vorige eeuw al uitgebreid onderzoek deed naar de restanten van wat hij dacht een inheems-Romeinse nederzetting. Holwerda’s vermoedens klopten gedeeltelijk, want na een inheems-Romeinse fase ontstond tegen het einde van de 2de eeuw een nederzetting die zich nauwelijks laat vergelijken met andere Romeinse vindplaatsen uit de regio. Hoewel de aanwijzingen zich opstapelen dat zich ergens in de directe omgeving een steunpunt van de Romeinse vloot (de Classis Germanica Pia Fidelis) moet hebben bevonden, is de verwachting van Romeinse militaire aanwezigheid in de nederzetting maar ten dele uitgekomen. Het relatief kleine onderzochte oppervlak is slechts een kijkgat gebleken in een complexe nederzetting, waa...
This chapter considers the conservation of Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, now at the Van Gogh Museum in A... more This chapter considers the conservation of Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, now at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, from past to future. It starts with the two main episodes of treatment performed in 1927 and 1961 by the Dutch restorer, Jan Cornelis Traas. Archival research provides an outline of Traas’s training, career, methods and approach viewed in the context of his day. Technical and scientific investigation of the Sunflowers helps understand what these former treatments by Traas (which are barely documented) entailed. Based on these insights, the condition of the painting is appraised and a conservation strategy defined. The past interventions severely limit options for renewed treatment. On balance the tendency is firmly towards preventive conservation, with only minor restoration performed.
In earlier articles, we determined the spatial distributions and concentrations of all pigments u... more In earlier articles, we determined the spatial distributions and concentrations of all pigments used by Van Gogh in his painting Field with Irises near Arles. The colors of some pigments are expected to have changed over time, especially those of chrome yellow, cochineal, and eosin lake. For all pigments in this painting, we made physical paint reconstructions by following historical sources on raw materials and production processes, and we determined their optical properties. We combined this with pigment concentration maps to reconstruct the original colors of the painting digitally. When substituting the reconstruction paints into the calculations, we found that technical-scientific data was not sufficient to resolve several issues. In those cases, discussions within the broad interdisciplinary team allowed us to make informed decisions. These issues refer to the representation of the sky area, and the original contributions of the red lake pigments to local colors. The digitally...
In this contribution we investigated the red pigments which were used for painting the plastered ... more In this contribution we investigated the red pigments which were used for painting the plastered walls in different Roman settlements within the borders of modern-day Nijmegen. After discovering that varieties of red ochre on the painted walls of a first-century house in Oppidum Batavorum could be distinguished chemically, it was found that various types of this pigment were used at other locations as well. One type of red ochre was without characteristic trace elements, while other varieties contained respectively high and low trace amounts of arsenic, some contained barium sulphate as a trace mineral, and others had varying trace amounts of lead. The red ochre with barium sulphate was not only found on the walls of the house in Oppidum Batavorum and contemporary plaster remains found at a different location, but also on second-century plaster fragments from Ulpia Noviomagus. Two types of red ochre with arsenic as trace element, lead-containing red ochres, and ochres without trace elements were present on the plaster fragments from both Oppidum Batavorum and Ulpia Noviomagus. Therefore, no relationship was found between a specific type of ochre and a period or location of use. The chemical characteristics may help in determining the origin of the pigment, but much work is still needed to draw definitive conclusions.
This research was carried out to assess the feasibility of dry ice blasting as a replacement for ... more This research was carried out to assess the feasibility of dry ice blasting as a replacement for solvent cleaning for the removal of organic layers from metal cultural heritage objects. The effects of dry ice blasting on test samples of aluminium, bronze and weathering steel were studied along with its effectiveness at removing organic layers from four objects. Metal surfaces were studied in detail before and after cleaning using light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). It was possible to remove wax layers from most of the metal samples. The removal of spray paint from aluminium was very successful, however, its removal from weathering steel proved very difficult. The gradual removal of patina/corrosion from weathering steel and bronze was possible without damaging the substrate. Results indicate that dry ice blasting is a good alternative to other air abrasive methods, such as sandblasting or walnut shell blasting.
Van Gogh’s choice of wax-based drawing media confirms the impression that he was an unconventiona... more Van Gogh’s choice of wax-based drawing media confirms the impression that he was an unconventional pioneer, ahead of his time and his contemporaries.
GlazeArt2018 : proceedings : International Conference Glazed Ceramics in Cultural Heritage, 2018
Citation for published version (APA): van Lookeren Campagne, K., Megens, L., & van Bommel, M. (20... more Citation for published version (APA): van Lookeren Campagne, K., Megens, L., & van Bommel, M. (2018). Understanding 17th-18th century Dutch Tin-glaze Through the Interpretation and Reconstruction of Historical Recipes. In S. Pereira, M. Menezes, & J. Delgado Rodrigues (Eds.), GlazeArt2018 : proceedings : International Conference Glazed Ceramics in Cultural Heritage, Lisboa, 2018 (pp. 150-164). Lisboa: Laboratório Nacional Engenharia Civil.
Vincent van Gogh's Sunflowers are seen by many as icons of Western European art. Two of these... more Vincent van Gogh's Sunflowers are seen by many as icons of Western European art. Two of these masterpieces — the first version painted in August 1888 (The National Gallery, London) and the painting made after it in January 1889 (Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam) — have been the subject of a detailed comparison by an interdisciplinary team of experts. The pictures were examined in unprecedented depth using a broad array of techniques, including state-of-the-art, non-invasive imaging analytical methods, to look closely at and under the paint surface. Not only the making, but also the subsequent history of the works was reconstructed, including later campaigns of restoration. The study’s conclusions are set out in this book, along with the fascinating genesis of the paintings and the sunflower’s special significance to Van Gogh. More than 30 authors, all specialists in the field of conservation, conservation science and art history, have contributed to the research and publication presen...
A glass bead from a Late Bronze Age cremation grave in Ooijen-Wanssum (the Netherlands) was found... more A glass bead from a Late Bronze Age cremation grave in Ooijen-Wanssum (the Netherlands) was found to be of the LMHK (low magnesium high potassium; also mixed-alkali) type of glass, which, as far as known, only occurs in Europe during the Late Bronze Age. It might be related to the production site at Frattesina in Italy.
De kraal uit een crematiegraf uit de late bronstijd in Ooijen-Wanssum is van het zogenaamde LMHK (low magnesium high potassium ook wel mixed-alkali) type, dat voor zover bekend in de late bronstijd alleen in Europa voorkwam. In het Noord-Italiaanse Frattesina is bewijs gevonden voor de productie van glas in de Late Bronstijd, waar dit type glas geproduceerd werd. De kraal is met koper turquoise gekleurd, zoals gebruikelijk bij LMHK glas, en is waarschijnlijk in het vuur van de crematie vervormd.
Paper (written and presented in Italian) on the archaeometric evidence for a Ligurian provenance ... more Paper (written and presented in Italian) on the archaeometric evidence for a Ligurian provenance of a large group of imported compendiario faience from Dutch soil, produced in and traded from Albissola in the first half of the 17th century. Paper presented on the "ATTI LI Convegno Internazionale della Ceramica 2018" in the Complesso Monumentale del Priàmar in Savona.
Aan de Zuidweg, even ten zuiden van de dorpskern van Naaldwijk, is een groot aantal sporen en von... more Aan de Zuidweg, even ten zuiden van de dorpskern van Naaldwijk, is een groot aantal sporen en vondsten uit de Romeinse tijd en de Middeleeuwen te voorschijn gekomen. De onderzoekslocatie ligt op een steenworp afstand van de opgravingen van Jan Hendrik Holwerda, die in de jaren 30 van de vorige eeuw al uitgebreid onderzoek deed naar de restanten van wat hij dacht een inheems-Romeinse nederzetting. Holwerda’s vermoedens klopten gedeeltelijk, want na een inheems-Romeinse fase ontstond tegen het einde van de 2de eeuw een nederzetting die zich nauwelijks laat vergelijken met andere Romeinse vindplaatsen uit de regio. Hoewel de aanwijzingen zich opstapelen dat zich ergens in de directe omgeving een steunpunt van de Romeinse vloot (de Classis Germanica Pia Fidelis) moet hebben bevonden, is de verwachting van Romeinse militaire aanwezigheid in de nederzetting maar ten dele uitgekomen. Het relatief kleine onderzochte oppervlak is slechts een kijkgat gebleken in een complexe nederzetting, waa...
This chapter considers the conservation of Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, now at the Van Gogh Museum in A... more This chapter considers the conservation of Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, now at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, from past to future. It starts with the two main episodes of treatment performed in 1927 and 1961 by the Dutch restorer, Jan Cornelis Traas. Archival research provides an outline of Traas’s training, career, methods and approach viewed in the context of his day. Technical and scientific investigation of the Sunflowers helps understand what these former treatments by Traas (which are barely documented) entailed. Based on these insights, the condition of the painting is appraised and a conservation strategy defined. The past interventions severely limit options for renewed treatment. On balance the tendency is firmly towards preventive conservation, with only minor restoration performed.
In earlier articles, we determined the spatial distributions and concentrations of all pigments u... more In earlier articles, we determined the spatial distributions and concentrations of all pigments used by Van Gogh in his painting Field with Irises near Arles. The colors of some pigments are expected to have changed over time, especially those of chrome yellow, cochineal, and eosin lake. For all pigments in this painting, we made physical paint reconstructions by following historical sources on raw materials and production processes, and we determined their optical properties. We combined this with pigment concentration maps to reconstruct the original colors of the painting digitally. When substituting the reconstruction paints into the calculations, we found that technical-scientific data was not sufficient to resolve several issues. In those cases, discussions within the broad interdisciplinary team allowed us to make informed decisions. These issues refer to the representation of the sky area, and the original contributions of the red lake pigments to local colors. The digitally...
Archeologisch onderzoek in het hart van Utrecht, 2023
DOMunder
Tussen 8 januari 2013 tot en met 9 mei 2014 is in
opdracht van initiatief Domplein door... more DOMunder Tussen 8 januari 2013 tot en met 9 mei 2014 is in opdracht van initiatief Domplein door archeologen van Erfgoed Utrecht archeologisch onderzoek uitgevoerd voorafgaand aan en tijdens de bouw van de historische attractie DOMunder. De missie van het initiatief Domplein is de geschiedenis van het Domplein zichtbaar en beleefbaar te maken voor een breed publiek. De basis voor DOMunder bestaat uit de laatste grote opgravings- putten XIX en XX die Van Giffen in 1949 heeft gegraven. Deze liggen op de plek waar tot 1674 het middenschip van de gotische Dom stond en waar de twee hoofdwegen binnen het Romeinse castellum bij elkaar kwamen. Onder en tussen de funderingen van de gotische Dom liggen de resten van meerdere oudere kerken. Daaronder liggen de resten van het Romeinse castellum. Het Domplein is een wettelijk beschermd archeologisch Rijksmonument. Een van de belangrijke uitgangspunten voor de realisatie van DOMunder was dan ook dat de archeologische waarden in en rond DOMunder niet zouden worden aangetast.
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Papers by Luc Megens
The red ochre with barium sulphate was not only found on the walls of the house in Oppidum Batavorum and contemporary plaster remains found at a different location, but also on second-century plaster fragments from Ulpia Noviomagus. Two types of red ochre with arsenic as trace element, lead-containing red ochres, and ochres without trace elements were present on the plaster fragments from both Oppidum Batavorum and Ulpia Noviomagus. Therefore, no relationship was found between a specific type of ochre and a period or location of use. The chemical characteristics may help in determining the origin of the pigment, but much work is still needed to draw definitive conclusions.
De kraal uit een crematiegraf uit de late bronstijd in Ooijen-Wanssum is van het zogenaamde LMHK (low magnesium high potassium ook wel mixed-alkali) type, dat voor zover bekend in de late bronstijd alleen in Europa voorkwam. In het Noord-Italiaanse Frattesina is bewijs gevonden voor de productie van glas in de Late Bronstijd, waar dit type glas geproduceerd werd. De kraal is met koper turquoise gekleurd, zoals gebruikelijk bij LMHK glas, en is waarschijnlijk in het vuur van de crematie vervormd.
The red ochre with barium sulphate was not only found on the walls of the house in Oppidum Batavorum and contemporary plaster remains found at a different location, but also on second-century plaster fragments from Ulpia Noviomagus. Two types of red ochre with arsenic as trace element, lead-containing red ochres, and ochres without trace elements were present on the plaster fragments from both Oppidum Batavorum and Ulpia Noviomagus. Therefore, no relationship was found between a specific type of ochre and a period or location of use. The chemical characteristics may help in determining the origin of the pigment, but much work is still needed to draw definitive conclusions.
De kraal uit een crematiegraf uit de late bronstijd in Ooijen-Wanssum is van het zogenaamde LMHK (low magnesium high potassium ook wel mixed-alkali) type, dat voor zover bekend in de late bronstijd alleen in Europa voorkwam. In het Noord-Italiaanse Frattesina is bewijs gevonden voor de productie van glas in de Late Bronstijd, waar dit type glas geproduceerd werd. De kraal is met koper turquoise gekleurd, zoals gebruikelijk bij LMHK glas, en is waarschijnlijk in het vuur van de crematie vervormd.
Tussen 8 januari 2013 tot en met 9 mei 2014 is in
opdracht van initiatief Domplein door archeologen van
Erfgoed Utrecht archeologisch onderzoek uitgevoerd
voorafgaand aan en tijdens de bouw van de historische
attractie DOMunder. De missie van het initiatief Domplein
is de geschiedenis van het Domplein zichtbaar en
beleefbaar te maken voor een breed publiek. De basis
voor DOMunder bestaat uit de laatste grote opgravings-
putten XIX en XX die Van Giffen in 1949 heeft gegraven.
Deze liggen op de plek waar tot 1674 het middenschip
van de gotische Dom stond en waar de twee hoofdwegen
binnen het Romeinse castellum bij elkaar kwamen. Onder
en tussen de funderingen van de gotische Dom liggen de
resten van meerdere oudere kerken. Daaronder liggen de
resten van het Romeinse castellum. Het Domplein is een
wettelijk beschermd archeologisch Rijksmonument. Een
van de belangrijke uitgangspunten voor de realisatie van
DOMunder was dan ook dat de archeologische waarden in
en rond DOMunder niet zouden worden aangetast.