Of the various binding media used in paintings, this work examines drying oils. During the initia... more Of the various binding media used in paintings, this work examines drying oils. During the initial phase of polymerisation and the progressive ageing process, the fraction of unsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids undergoes various changes (reticulation, oxidation, etc.), that give rise to characteristic compounds. Within a broader research project, aimed at the characterisation of binding media, a preliminary study was made of the ageing process of linseed oil. In this regard, linseed oil was spread on a glass or canvas support and then dried in the open air. The ageing of the spread linseed oil was monitored by taking samples of the material at regular intervals. After the fatty acids had changed into methylesters, the samples were analysed by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results obtained have been reported as a ratio between the areas of the chromatographic peaks of the different fatty acids found.
Following a short investigation into the damages which most frequently occur to glass plate negat... more Following a short investigation into the damages which most frequently occur to glass plate negatives, the authors wish to report on the state of the researches carried out to that regard. The results of a research conducted by the Istituto Nazionale per la Grafica jointly with the Istituto Centrale per il Restauro on some historical glass plate negatives of the second half of the 19th century produced by bromised gelatine process are being described. The glass plate negatives which have been examined showed big conservation problems with regard both to the photographic emulsion and the protective varnish if any. The research has led to identify the biodeteriorating agents by cultural and microscopic techniques as well as the constituting materials by chromatographic (HPLC) and spectroscopic (FTIR) techniques.
This paper will discuss the scientific results of a recent sampling of the polychrome and gilded s... more This paper will discuss the scientific results of a recent sampling of the polychrome and gilded stone, stucco and clay sculptures of Gandharan art not yet published. Four years ago, we had the opportunity to begin an articulated research project focused on the Gandharan polychrome stone and stucco sculptures, and in the last two years, thanks to a very limited grant, offered by the Italian Government to the Istituto Superiore per la Conservazione ed il Restauro (ISCR), we had the opportunity to develop a new research. This allowed us to investigate some important artefacts displayed in these Museums: the Archaeological Museum of Milan, the Museum of Oriental Art of Turin, the Museum Guimet in Paris. Moreover, we had the opportunity to take some archaeological samples from the new excavations of the Italian Archaeological Mission in Pakistan and the Italian Archaeological Mission in Afghanistan.In this new research we analysed the artistic technique of painting and gilding on sculptu...
Gandharan art developed in the Himalayan area in the early centuries CE. It has been investigated... more Gandharan art developed in the Himalayan area in the early centuries CE. It has been investigated mostly from an iconographic point of view, missing, until very recently, a systematic technical investigation of materials and techniques. Recently our team began performing chemical analyses of the traces of the polychromy originally covering statues, reliefs and architectural decorations, to discover the ancient painting techniques and artistic technologies. This paper presents the results of the analytical investigation (optical microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry) of pigments, ground layers and binders of a new group of samples taken from stucco architectural decorations (2nd–3rd/4th centuries CE). The samples were collected directly at an archaeological site in the Swat Valley, ensuring the exact knowledge of their stratigraphic provenance, as well as the absence of any restoration treatment applied prior sampling. The results are di...
In this work, the technique and the pictorial materials employed by Claude Monet in Pink Water Li... more In this work, the technique and the pictorial materials employed by Claude Monet in Pink Water Lilies, presently housed at the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rome, were investigated. The painting underwent noninvasive investigations such as energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence and visible reflectance spectroscopies. The combined use of these techniques allowed us to identify most of the inorganic pigments such as cobalt blue and violet, zinc oxide, cadmium yellow, vermilion, and mixtures. Particularly, the spectrophotometric curves allow for the detection of the anhydrous and hydrated chromium greens. Two micro-fragments of the painting were also examined with micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and the cross-sections obtained were analyzed with the optical microscope and with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS). Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy analyses allowed us to recognize the animal glue used fo...
Resinous materials, generally added to drying oils, were often employed as final protective films... more Resinous materials, generally added to drying oils, were often employed as final protective films in paintings, both in tempera and oil techniques. Most of the resins used in fine arts come from exudates of plants. Natural resins are mainly composed by terpenoids. Among these resins, dammar, rosin, mastic, elemi gum, Venice turpentine were frequently employed in easel paintings. The aim of this work is the identification of natural resins in samples collected from works of art. In this paper we propose to use micro-FTIR spectrometry as a preliminary and non destructive technique to detect the presence of resinous materials in microsamples collected from paintings, followed by GC-MS analyses to obtain a precise identification of the resin. To reach this aim commercial resins, employed as standard, were analysed previously by micro-FTIR spectrometry and then analysed by GC-MS chromatography, searching characteristic chemical compounds used as "markers" of resins. The results...
Of the various binding media used in paintings, this work examines drying oils. During the initia... more Of the various binding media used in paintings, this work examines drying oils. During the initial phase of polymerisation and the progressive ageing process, the fraction of unsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids undergoes various changes (reticulation, oxidation, etc.), that give rise to characteristic compounds. Within a broader research project, aimed at the characterisation of binding media, a preliminary study was made of the ageing process of linseed oil. In this regard, linseed oil was spread on a glass or canvas support and then dried in the open air. The ageing of the spread linseed oil was monitored by taking samples of the material at regular intervals. After the fatty acids had changed into methylesters, the samples were analysed by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results obtained have been reported as a ratio between the areas of the chromatographic peaks of the different fatty acids found.
Following a short investigation into the damages which most frequently occur to glass plate negat... more Following a short investigation into the damages which most frequently occur to glass plate negatives, the authors wish to report on the state of the researches carried out to that regard. The results of a research conducted by the Istituto Nazionale per la Grafica jointly with the Istituto Centrale per il Restauro on some historical glass plate negatives of the second half of the 19th century produced by bromised gelatine process are being described. The glass plate negatives which have been examined showed big conservation problems with regard both to the photographic emulsion and the protective varnish if any. The research has led to identify the biodeteriorating agents by cultural and microscopic techniques as well as the constituting materials by chromatographic (HPLC) and spectroscopic (FTIR) techniques.
This paper will discuss the scientific results of a recent sampling of the polychrome and gilded s... more This paper will discuss the scientific results of a recent sampling of the polychrome and gilded stone, stucco and clay sculptures of Gandharan art not yet published. Four years ago, we had the opportunity to begin an articulated research project focused on the Gandharan polychrome stone and stucco sculptures, and in the last two years, thanks to a very limited grant, offered by the Italian Government to the Istituto Superiore per la Conservazione ed il Restauro (ISCR), we had the opportunity to develop a new research. This allowed us to investigate some important artefacts displayed in these Museums: the Archaeological Museum of Milan, the Museum of Oriental Art of Turin, the Museum Guimet in Paris. Moreover, we had the opportunity to take some archaeological samples from the new excavations of the Italian Archaeological Mission in Pakistan and the Italian Archaeological Mission in Afghanistan.In this new research we analysed the artistic technique of painting and gilding on sculptu...
Gandharan art developed in the Himalayan area in the early centuries CE. It has been investigated... more Gandharan art developed in the Himalayan area in the early centuries CE. It has been investigated mostly from an iconographic point of view, missing, until very recently, a systematic technical investigation of materials and techniques. Recently our team began performing chemical analyses of the traces of the polychromy originally covering statues, reliefs and architectural decorations, to discover the ancient painting techniques and artistic technologies. This paper presents the results of the analytical investigation (optical microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry) of pigments, ground layers and binders of a new group of samples taken from stucco architectural decorations (2nd–3rd/4th centuries CE). The samples were collected directly at an archaeological site in the Swat Valley, ensuring the exact knowledge of their stratigraphic provenance, as well as the absence of any restoration treatment applied prior sampling. The results are di...
In this work, the technique and the pictorial materials employed by Claude Monet in Pink Water Li... more In this work, the technique and the pictorial materials employed by Claude Monet in Pink Water Lilies, presently housed at the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rome, were investigated. The painting underwent noninvasive investigations such as energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence and visible reflectance spectroscopies. The combined use of these techniques allowed us to identify most of the inorganic pigments such as cobalt blue and violet, zinc oxide, cadmium yellow, vermilion, and mixtures. Particularly, the spectrophotometric curves allow for the detection of the anhydrous and hydrated chromium greens. Two micro-fragments of the painting were also examined with micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and the cross-sections obtained were analyzed with the optical microscope and with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS). Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy analyses allowed us to recognize the animal glue used fo...
Resinous materials, generally added to drying oils, were often employed as final protective films... more Resinous materials, generally added to drying oils, were often employed as final protective films in paintings, both in tempera and oil techniques. Most of the resins used in fine arts come from exudates of plants. Natural resins are mainly composed by terpenoids. Among these resins, dammar, rosin, mastic, elemi gum, Venice turpentine were frequently employed in easel paintings. The aim of this work is the identification of natural resins in samples collected from works of art. In this paper we propose to use micro-FTIR spectrometry as a preliminary and non destructive technique to detect the presence of resinous materials in microsamples collected from paintings, followed by GC-MS analyses to obtain a precise identification of the resin. To reach this aim commercial resins, employed as standard, were analysed previously by micro-FTIR spectrometry and then analysed by GC-MS chromatography, searching characteristic chemical compounds used as "markers" of resins. The results...
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