Ancient Pigments Analysis

English:
A late-Hellenistic production site was found at the eastern stoa of the agora of Kos. The presence of destroyed fire-structures indicates pyrotechnological processes, related to pigment manufacture and metallurgy. Pigment production included the treatment of natural earths and the manufacture of the artificial material Egyptian blue. Among the excavation’s finds were hollow tubular litharge rods, amorphous lead lumps and drops, and a small quantity of silver, which point to lead production and silver separation through cupellation. The co-existence of the two separate manufacturing activities at the same site may have been beneficial in supplying the workshop with raw materials and fuel. The strategic location of the production site in the commercial centre of the ancient town, with its connection to the port, would have facilitated trade. The production debris from the Koan site underlines the relationship between pigment manufacture and metallurgy.
Italian:
Un sito produttivo risalente all’età tardo ellenistica fu messo in luce nel settore orientale dell’agorà di Kos. Resti di fornaci, pur se scarsamente conservate, testimoniano processi piro-tecnologici relativi alla metallurgia e alla manifattura di pigmenti. La produzione dei pigmenti includeva il trattamento di terre colorate e la manifattura del blu egizio, un pigmento artificiale. Alcuni tra i materiali rinvenuti nel sito (barre tubolari di litargirio, masse amorfe e gocce di piombo, e residui d’argento) indicano la produzione di piombo e la separazione dell’argento tramite coppellazione. La compresenza delle due diverse attività manifatturiere nello stesso impianto artigianale potrebbe essere stata vantaggiosa in termini di approvvigionamento di materie prime e combustibile. La posizione strategica della manifattura, situata nel centro commerciale della città antica e interconnessa con il porto, avrebbe facilitato la commercializzazione dei prodotti. Gli scarti produttivi suggeriscono una relazione tra la produzione di pigmenti e la metallurgia.

Paintings and painted surfaces are considered to be extremely complex due to their multitude of materials and thus form the basis for particularly intricate Cultural Heritage studies. The combination of Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) with Cathodoluminescence (CL) can serve as a powerful tool for the identification of individual pigments. SEM/ CL has the potential of identifying both organic and inorganic pigments and can focus on a micrometer or even nanometer scale. The combination with Energy Dispersive Spectrometry (EDS) allows for robust, cross-checked, elemental and mineralogical characterization of pigments. In order to apply SEM/CL in a routine-based way for the identification of pigments, it is necessary to have a robust, open-access database of characteristic CL spectra of pigments. A large project has been undertaken to create such a database, focusing primarily at the pigments, both organic and inorganic, which were most commonly used from antiquity until today. In the present paper, the CL characterization of common white pigments is presented. White pigments were selected, due to their significance and frequency of use, since they were also present on the ground layers or mixed with other pigments in most of the painting layers. More specifically, the CL spectra of samples in pure form of calcite, kaolinite, lead white, zinc oxide, barium sulfate, lithopone and titanium white are presented. In all cases, the CL spectra present characteristic bands, which allow for a secure identification of the pigments. In order to facilitate comparison with other databases, EDS and RAMAN spectra are also presented. Additionally, the effect of weathering on the CL spectra was evaluated, by comparison to naturally and artificially aged samples and to pigments identified on areas of two paintings, of the 19th and 20th c., respectively. Finally, the effect of binding media was also studied, using combination of pigments with four common media: egg yolk, linseed, walnut and poppy oil. Overall, both weathering and binding media appear to cause minor differences in the occurring spectra, without preventing the identification of pigments.

This paper presents the study of selected painted fragments from different contexts of Ostia Antica city, dating between 2nd century BCE and the end of the 1st century CE. The aim is to identify the raw materials used and to understand the execution techniques through a non-invasive protocol including techniques based either on multiband imaging (Visible-VIS, Ultraviolet induced Luminescence - UVL and Visible Induced Luminescence - VIL) and single spot analyses (Fiber Optic Reflectance Spectroscopy- FORS and portable X-Ray Fluorescence spectrometry - XRF). The most representative and interesting fragments were sampled for further studies with laboratory techniques such as optical microscopy (OM) and electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared and micro-Raman Spectroscopies (FT-IR and μRaman).

The extensive use of non-invasive techniques, even working on fragments, is proved to be the most robust and effective approach enabling the analysis of a high number of areas, dramatically increasing the statistical meaning of the collected data. The elaboration of such a huge number of data allows highlighting differences and similarities, thus achieving a more realistic overview of the materials composition and addressing the sampling to the more significant and complex areas.

"The megalithic tomb at Montelirio is off the scale in more ways than one. As well as being the largest example of its type known in Spain, the burial goods secreted in its subterranean chambers are unsurpassed in both quantity and quality. Leonardo García Sanjuán reveals what the dead of Montelirio can tell us about Copper Age society."

Background: The important trecento Florentine artist Giotto (c. 1266-1337) is renowned for his naturalistic and realistic works in tempera and fresco. His innovative paintng style involved painting expressive, emotive faces and use of pictorial devices for depicting space. This report focuses on the analysis of the materials and methods used in a panel in the collection of the National Gallery of Art, Madonna and Child (1310/1315). Results: Giotto used inky washes under thin layers of egg tempera paint. Yellow iron earth and lead tin yellow are present in the paint used to depict the lining of the Virgin's mantle. SEM-EDX of one of the yellow pigments confirmed it is lead tin yellow type II, PbSn 1-x Si x O 3. The ratio of colorant to the glassy phase indicates this material was produced for use as a pigment rather than as a glass. Ultramarine was not used in this painting, azurite is the blue pigment. The azurite used here does not contain elemental impurities, however malachite and the rare green–blue mineral mixite, BiCu 6 (OH) 6 (AsO 4) 3 (H 2 O) 3 , are found in the blue paint.

Daub is non-fired clay that is applied to house structures in the southern Midwest and Southeast of the United States by Pre-Contact peoples of the Americas. It is often imagined as mud-brown, or  the  color  of  most  clay  in  these  areas.  In  the  East  Village  of  the  Angel  Site  in  Evansville, Indiana, circa the mid-13th to 14th centuries A.D., some daub pieces were found by archaeologists that  were  painted  with  red,  tan,  white,  black,  brown,  and  silver-blue pigments  in  patterns  that mimic stylistic motifs seen in painted pottery  from this time period. This article describes these stylistic motifs and how  these patterns are linked to non-domestic structures in the East Village and how this impacts how we imagine buildings of the past.

Two Byzantine VI century manuscripts known as Vienna Dioskurides and Vienna Genesis, held in the Austrian National Library at Vienna, were analysed with in situ non-invasive techniques. Raman spectroscopy, UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectrophotometry with optic fibres and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry were used to characterise the palette of these early Middle Ages manuscripts. The analytical study was performed to have a better knowledge on the colourants used by ancient miniature painters, a subject known more on the basis of traditional sources (i.e. medieval treatises) than of analytical evidences. Indeed these illuminated manuscripts are, to the authors’ knowledge, among the oldest ever being analysed, so that the colourants found in them can be considered among the oldest evidences of their use. The main feature of Vienna Dioskurides and Vienna Genesis palettes is their richness, exemplified by the simultaneous presence of gold and ultramarine blue; in Vienna Dioskurides cinnabar is also present. Information regarding ultramarine blue is surprising, being the analytical evidence of the use of this precious pigment at least three centuries before its use in Western manuscripts, a feature justified by the fact that the Byzantine Empire was the dominant culture in early Middle Ages in the Mediterranean World. Other colourants include azurite and indigo, red lead, orpiment, red and yellow ochres, while a mixture of blue and yellow colourants, known as vergaut, was used to render green hues. Organic colourants were also used, such as madder and Tyrian purple, the latter employed to dye the parchment of Vienna Genesis.

The current study is the first comprehensive investigation of the polychromy of Palmyrene funerary portraits. It presents the technical examinations of six portraits (ca. 150–250 CE) from the collection of the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, illustrating the marvellous splendour of the cultural heritage of ancient Palmyra. The six portraits were examined with various analytical methods, including microscopy, ultraviolet-induced visible fluorescence imaging and visible light-induced infrared luminescence imaging, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy coupled to energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Finally, two samples were collected for liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry to obtain the aminoacid sequence information. Various pigments were detected in the polychromy including lapis lazuli, pyromorphite, mimetite, yellow ochre, red ochre, a red lake, lead carbonate, zinc oxide, bone black,
and charcoal black. The proteinaceous binding medium was identified as collagen-based and possibly also keratin-based animal glue. The examinations of the Palmyrene portraits in the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek have proven that these artefacts, despite their current uniform, white appearance, originally presented themselves in a wealth of colours. This is illustrated by the digital reconstructions carried out of two of the examined portraits, which show how the original painting of these portraits would have given them an entirely different expression from what we see today.

This paper presents the preliminary results of the examinations on a series of wall painting fragments from housing contexts in Roman Aquileia. Almost none of these fragments has been found in situ but, according to stylistic features and stratigraphic position, we have been able to attribute more than 40 samples to a precise period, covering a chronological range of over six centuries (2nd c. BC – 5th c. AD). Mortars and pigments have been characterized through an analytical approach (OM; XRPD; SEM-EDS; Raman), in order to identify and interpret the evolution of materials and manufacturing processes adopted in the preparation of the wall paintings. In conclusion, it has been possible to characterize the evolution of expertise and practices adopted by artisans over six centuries of wall-painting production.

The characterisation of palettes used in manuscript illumination is a hard analytical task, due to value and fragility of the analysed items. Analysis on miniatures must be necessarily non-invasive and fast and requires the use of several techniques since no single technique is able to provide all information needed. In this work a four-step analytical protocol is proposed for non-invasive in situ characterisation of miniature paintings. The protocol allows the identification of coloured materials through the use in sequence of complementary techniques, so as to fully exploit the information given by each instrument. Preliminarily to the instrumental investigations on ancient books and miniatures is the compilation of spectroscopic databases obtained from “standard” samples prepared on parchment, according to recipes described in medieval artistic treatises. The protocol starts with an extensive investigation with UV–visible spectrophotometry in reflectance mode, collecting spectra from all the most significant painted areas in the manuscript; chemometric classification is then performed on the spectra to highlight areas possibly containing the same materials. The second step involves in-depth inspection of miniatures under optical microscopy that guides the interpretation of reflectance spectra. XRF spectrometry is then performed to characterise pigments and metal layers, to verify the presence of overlapping layers, to identify mordants in lakes and to recognise minor components that may yield information concerning provenance; in addition, chemometric classification can be performed on element concentrations to highlight similar areas. Finally, Raman spectroscopy is used to shed light on the uncertain cases, if still present. Such a procedure offers a wealth of information without causing stress to the manuscripts under analysis.

Raman spectroscopy is a chemical characterisation method in identifying painting pigments. The determination of pigments on paintings is essential for understanding artist’s techniques. There is no comparative study of Turkish artists studied using Raman. The present work consists of the Raman study of Osman Hamdi Bey’s paintings and chemometric evaluation of the results with principal component analysis.

In the small mountain hamlet of Ala di Stura (Piedmont, Lanzo Valleys), a large but relatively unknown artistic heritage is present, made of 110 mural paintings divided among meridians and paintings with religious themes. These artworks are datable among XVI and XXI century. To support the work of touristic promotion carried out by the Commune of Ala di Stura, micro samples have been withdrawn from the most relevant artworks in order to execute Raman and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) analysis and to have useful information concerning conservation, dating and global knowledge on the artworks themselves that are little known outside Piedmont. Analyses allowed to elucidate phenomena of chromatic alteration (changing of lead pigments), to individuate pigments acting as time markers (synthetic ultramarine blue, arsenical green pigments) and to have information on the origin and exploitation of pictorial materials used by the artists who worked in Ala di Stura. Of particular interest is the fact that all pigments identified in the older paintings, and many among those identified in the newer ones, could be derived from minerals sources present in the Lanzo Valleys, among which is olivenite, a rare copper arsenate used as a green pigment that has rarely cited in the scientific literature.

Капова пещера (Шульган-Таш) располагается на Южном Урале в Бурзянском р-не Республики Башкортостан на  территории Государственного природного заповедника “Шульган-Таш” на расстоянии порядка 200 км от Уфы. В 1959 г. в пещере открыты верхнепалеолитические росписи, число которых по разным оценкам варьирует от 50 до почти 200. Этот значительный разброс объясняется наличием многочисленных красных пятен, частично перекрытых кальцитовыми натеками, в которых лишь на основе визуальной оценки затруднительно достоверно определить преднамеренно выполненные фигуративные изображения. Некоторые натеки мощные, доходящие, например, на панно “Лошади и знаки” в зале Хаоса до 10 cм, поэтому наличие и  характер изображений, ими перекрытых, можно только предполагать. В настоящее время в пещере осуществляется программа Правительства Республики Башкортостан, в рамках которой выполняются реставрационные работы. В ходе этих мероприятий удалены современные граффити с ряда плоскостей и раскрыто из-под кальцитовых натеков изображение верблюда-бактриана – уникальное для верхнепалеолитического искусства.

Kapova Cave (Shulgan-Tash) is located in the Southern Urals in Burzyan District of the Republic of Bashkortostan on the territory of the State Nature Reserve Shulgan-Tash. The first Upper Paleolithic paintings were discovered in 1959; according to different estimates, the number of such paintings in the cave varies from 50 to almost 200. This significant variation is due to the numerous red spots, partially covered with calcite deposits, which make it difficult to make out reliably the intentional drawings with visual assessment only. Some deposits are so thick that they reach, for example, 10 cm on the panel with horses and signs in the “Chamber of Chaos”, and the presence and nature of the images under can only be assumed. Currently, the cave is under restoration promoted through the program of the Government of the Republic of Bashkortostan. This entailed the removal of modern graffiti from several planes and revealing of a Bactrian camel, which is unique for the Upper Paleolithic art, from under the calcite.

El yacimiento de Can Tacó-Turó d’en Roïna es un enclave romano de carácter político-militar situado estratégicamente en una pequeña colina desde la cual se controlaba la Vía Hercúlea (después denominada Vía Augusta). El castellum fue construido a principios del siglo II a. C. y fue demolido un siglo más tarde. Un aspecto destacable de éste yacimiento ha sido el hallazgo de los restos de una decoración parietal de Primer Estilo Pompeyano considerada como uno de los ejemplares más antiguos localizados en Cataluña y en la península Ibérica. Esta decoración imita la apariencia de un conjunto de sillares revestidos con placas de mármol y perfilados con líneas rojas que parecen ser las juntas. El estudio de los estucos y pigmentos relacionados con esta decoración, nos permitirá interpretar la tecnología empleada durante esta primera fase de romanización. El análisis de las superficies pictóricas se ha llevado a cabo mediante fluorescencia de rayos X por dispersión de energías (EDXRF), difracción de rayos X (XRD) ymicroscopio electrónico de barrido (SEM-EDX). De acuerdo con los resultados obtenidos, se ha detectado principalmente la presencia de pigmentos tan preciados como el cinabrio (HgS), que en algunos casos se encuentra mezclado con una pequeña cantidad de hematites (Fe2O3). El estudio de los morteros utilizados en el estucado de las paredes se ha realizado fundamentalmente por medio de microscopio óptico de polarización (POM) y SEM EDX. Según los resultados obtenidos podemos afirmar que son unos estucos con una carga de granulometría muy fina, componentes bien seleccionados (en su mayoría son fragmentos de calcita (CaCO3) que fueron añadidos intencionadamente) y una dosificación del orden de 1:3 (una parte de aglomerante y tres partes de arena). Asimismo, se ha puesto de manifiesto la superposición de morteros de diferente granulometría (argamasa y capas de preparación).

L’avvio nel 2014 del progetto ‘Morgantina a colori’ ha dato sin da subito risultati interessanti, fornendo parecchi spunti per la comprensione e conoscenza di un argomento - la policromia nell’arte greca - finora mai oggetto di interesse tra gli studiosi del monumentale sito nel cuore della Sicilia, Morgantina. La recente candidatura del progetto ‘Morgantina a colori’ alla III Call for National Access di IPERION.CH, finanziata dal MIUR, ha consentito la prosecuzione dell’attività di ricerca.
Grazie al contributo di fisici afferenti all rete per i beni culturali CHNet dell’INFN è stat così realizzata nel 2018 una seconda, nuova campagna di indagini diagnostiche con tecniche non invasive, concentendo di analizzare una selezione di reperti del museo regionale di Aidone, tra cui la celebre statua di divinità nota come la dea di Morgantina.
Il paper presenta i risultati di questa nuova campagna di analisi, nel tentativo di rimarcare il grande contributo della scienza ad una conoscenza sempre più approfondita dell’arte antica.

Pigments from paint palettes and a grindstone excavated from the pharaonic town of Amara West (c. 1300–1050 BCE), which lies between the Second and Third Cataracts of the Nile, were examined using polarized light microscopy, attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Most of the pigments were consistent with the typical ancient Egyptian palette, but the greens and some blues were unusual. Two types of green pigment were identified, chlorite (varieties clinochlore and penninite) and copper chloride hydroxide (atacamite type). The former constitutes a type of green earth which has only rarely been identified in pharaonic Egyptian contexts and may be more widespread than is currently reported. The majority of the blue pigment samples were Egyptian blue, but some were found to be a blue earth, the main component of which being sodic amphibole riebeckite. Th...

In this study, several wall painting fragments discovered in the Roman baths from the archeological site Alburnus Maior (Roşia Montană, Romania) were analyzed with the aim to investigate the material composition of both plasters and pictorial layers. Dated from the beginning of the second century AD, these rare findings stand among the oldest examples of preserved decorative polychrome paintings on plaster excavated thus far in the former territory of the Roman province of Dacia. A non-destructive multi-analytical approach based on complementary techniques was considered: Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV fluorescence, and hyperspectral imaging (HSI). The obtained results highlight a common Roman color palette mainly based on naturally occurring earth pigments. Red ochre, yellow ochre, manganese-rich ochres/wads, carbon black, and calcite were identified. A traditional two-layer sequence of plasters was found—arricc...

Changes in the formulation of pigments and paint binders and the presence of additives used in the history of painting can complicate the interpretation of analytical data and may influence the characterization of the materials used in artworks. The limitations of the common analytical tools used to identify potential paint components including metallic driers, pigments, and the inorganic substrates of lake colors may also make analysis more difficult. X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy is a common non-destructive technique used to collect inorganic elemental information from artworks. Advancements in XRF technology now permit the gathering of data from multi-layered paint systems and scanning technology can help characterize pigments across the entire surface of an artwork. These tools require an even greater understanding of the potential materials in an artwork to avoid misinterpretation of the data. The authors tested XRF's ability to characterize lead, manganese, and cob...

RESUMEN Se describe la aplicación de la técnica fotográfica VIL (VIS-induced luminescence) a una serie de superficies pintadas de época romana con el fin de detectar la presencia o no del pigmento azul egipcio. Las piezas objeto de estudio son pequeños fragmentos de estucos pintados que provienen de las excavaciones del teatro romano de Medellín y de la villa romana de La Majona, ambos en la provincia de Badajoz. Se comprueba la efectividad y sensibilidad de esta técnica al detectar la presencia del pigmento tanto en zonas evidentes como en otras donde no se aprecia a simple vista.
Palabras clave: Azul egipcio, imagen VIL, fotografía IR.
Keywords: Egyptian blue, VIL image, IR photography.

Multispectral imaging cameras are frequently used in art conservation for identifying pigments, as well as for monitoring change in pigments over time. Multispectral cameras take multiple images at 370nm, 448nm, 476nm, 499nm, 519nm, 598nm, 636nm, 700nm, 735nm, 780nm, 870nm, and 940nm wavelengths with UV bandpass, visible bandpass, and long pass filters to increase the range of captured information to include UV reflectance and fluorescence emission images. This pilot study explores the ability to utilize this non-destructive technique to analyze variability of pigment recipes within ceramic types and between types. Mineral and organic black pigments from five black-on-white ceramic types (Jemez, Cortez, Chuska, Red Mesa, and Abiquiu) from the American Southwest were used for comparative purposes. Pigment and reflectance values acquired from images via Image J software (open source freeware) were compared both within types and between types with one-way ANOVA analysis. Results show varying levels of significant statistical difference between types and minimal difference within most types sampled.

Mural painting, mosaics and marble veneers are considered to be a perfectly Roman contribution, a factor even of romanisation in the Alpine regions and north of the Alps, as early as the Roman conquest. The floors and walls of houses and monuments are decorated using techniques developed in Rome and the Italian provinces, using imported pigments or stones. In view of the great construction phase that accompanied the Roman settlement in our regions, the local quarries were undoubtedly used. The various coatings should have kept the trace of it but physico-chemical analyses and a series of testimonies are still lacking.

Este trabajo trata sobre la primera aplicación del análisis mediante fluorescencia de rayos X por dispersión de energías (EDXRF) al estudio de pinturas murales de época romana en Cataluña. En el estudio, han sido analizados varios fragmentos decorados (relacionados con las pinturas de las estancias de la domus de Iesso, datada del s. II d. C.) en orden a determinar cuales fueron los elementos causantes de las distintas tonalidades así como realizar la caracterización de los materiales de soporte. Con el fin de confirmar y ampliar los resultados obtenidos mediante EDXRF, se han utilizado otras técnicas de análisis como la microscopía óptica de polarización (POM), la difracción de rayos X (XRD) y la microscopía electrónica de barrido con sistema de análisis de dispersión de energías acoplado (SEM-EDS). Las muestras del estudio presentan una gama de colores restringida constituida por colores rojo, ocre, verde, blanco y negro, todos ellos en distintas tonalidades. Los resultados obtenidos sugieren que se empleó una paleta con presencia de minerales clásicos de origen local. Aunque los colores rojos están principalmente compuestos por hematites se ha detectado la presencia de plomo en algunos espectros (que podría indicar o bien el uso de rojo de plomo o bien la utilización de blanco de plomo para la preparación de pigmentos); los amarillos y los verdes se obtuvieron a partir de óxidos de hierro que dan estas tonalidades; los blancos se elaboraron con calcita; y finalmente los colores negros no parecen ser de origen mineral. El estudio de los morteros utilizados en el estucado, realizado fundamentalmente mediante POM y SEM-EDS, ha puesto de manifiesto el uso de morteros de cal de diferente granulometría aplicados en capas superpuestas.

Known synthesis approaches for basic copper(II) acetates, the main components of historic verdrigis pigments were reinvestigated and revealed to be partially irreproducible. A modification of the reaction conditions led to the successful and reproducible synthesis of the 1–2–0 phase (Cu3(CH3COO)2(OH)4 =1Cu(CH3COO)2·2Cu(OH)2·0H2O). The phase composition was derived from elemental and thermal analysis and confirmed by the crystal structure solution using synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) data. The 1–2–0 phase crystallises in space group Pbca with lattice parameters of a = 20.9742(1) Å, b = 7.2076(1) Å, and c = 13.1220(1) Å. The crystal structure consists of Cu2(CH3-COO)2(OH)4/3(OH)2/2
1/3− dimers, which are interconnected by corner sharing Cu(OH)2/3(OH)2/2
1/3+ squares forming layers perpendicular to the a-axis. The deep blue color of the solid originates from a reflectance maximum at 472 nm and from an absorbance maximum at 676 nm that is comparable with other historic blue pigments like azurite or Egyptian blue. IR- and Raman-spectroscopic properties of the solid were investigated as well, which demonstrated that the obtained product is identical with a previously synthesised verdigris phase that was obtained by applying historical procedures. Therefore, our reference data for the title compound will help to improve the understanding of the multiphase mixtures occurring in historic verdigris samples. The magnetic properties of the 1–2–0 phase were also investigated. At low temperatures the magnetic susceptibility is well described by a spin-1/2 Heisenberg chain with uniform antiferromagnetic nearest-neighbour spin exchange coupling of only one of three Cu magnetic moments. Due to the very strong antiferromagnetic coupling of the Cu2(CH3-COO)2(OH)4/3(OH)2/2 1/3− dimers their contribution to magnetism becomes relevant above ∼140 K, which results in the presence of two distinct temperature regions where Curie–Weiss behaviour of the magnetic susceptibility with different Curie constants and Weiss temperatures is found.

Cet article tente d’esquisser une synthèse sur la peinture d’Ostie de la deuxième moitié du Ier siècle ap. J.-C., qui correspondent au quatrième style soi-disant « pompéien ». Cinq contextes d’enduits in situ et fragmentaires sont mis en relation pour tenter de définir les caractéristiques propres à la production ostienne, du point de vue décoratif et matériel. À travers une approche croisée, qui prend en considération les caractéristiques techniques des enduits, les motifs employés et l’organisation interne des décors, l’étude a permis d’identifier la présence à cette période d’ateliers de haut niveau, qui semblent partager un répertoire commun et une pratique analogue dans la réalisation matérielle des peintures.

Among the materials coming from the excavation of the Museo Egizio of Torino there is a series of funerary masks of Roman period realized by a “cartonnage” techniques. These materials needed a conservation and rebuilding process due to their bad repair [1-3].
During this restoration process a non invasive analytical study was realized using portable X-ray Fluorescence spectrometry and Raman spectroscopy. All the materials composing the different masks were measured, starting from the papyri and going on to the plaster used as glue; crossing to the colored parts that draw the so nice face image. A statistical base of the obtained results was supported by the comparison with similar materials, as ink, pigments, papyri and raw plasters.
In particular, analysis of both red and black inks and colors (red, yellow, blue and green) on different supports were performed. All the objects are ranged in a chronological window between the XI-XII and the XXIII dynasty that can be used to better define the manufacturing context of the production.
Analyzing the results a complete characterization of the painted layers and inks were succeeded; observing the presence of Egyptian blue, pararealgar, madder lake and red ochre, despite of the limitation of portable instrumentations [4,5]. We also report an interesting occurrence of titanium elements in some inks.
The research activity was realized in collaboration with the Società Cooperativa Archeologica (SCA), which is contributing to the scientific and conservative process act to the valorization of the Assiut archeological finds.

The potential of laser cleaning for paintings as an alternative to traditional cleaning methods has been recognized, and studies using industrial laser equipment have shown some potential. Irradiation at a wavelength of 248 nm has shown to be the most promising for natural resin varnish and overpaint removal, because it is strongly absorbed by triterpenoid varnish functional groups and associated degradation products (Georgiou 1998). However, it has been suggested that a minimal varnish thickness should remain intact to prevent any radiation from being absorbed by the underlying layers. This is because some painting materials have also shown sensitivity to laser radiation (Bordalo 2006). Research into the mechanisms of alterations which may occur due to laser radiation on resins, pigments and oils and its long-term effects has been scarce, and dispersed in its approach because of the multitude of different materials present in the paint layers (Chappé 2003, Sobott 2003, Melessanaki 2006). Thus, the systematic study of laser radiation interaction with paint materials is still important. The aim of this study was to advance the understanding of the effects that KrF excimer laser irradiation has on pigmented oil paint layers.

The painted decorations of Ostian insulae are known by all for their excellent preservation state and for the importance they represent as one of the only testimonies of Ancient wall Painting from the 2nd to the 5th c. AD. However, it is surprising to see they have never been studied through a technical point of view, using them as a medium to understand the production dynamics of the workshops. The Hadrianic complex of the Case a Giardino constitutes an excellent case of studies, where we can follow the work of a single atelier, working together with the builders of the building and replicating the same models in a very short span of time. Recent studies have shown a very different situation for previous periods, in the Republican and Alto-imperial times, where local workshops of very high level operated in various points of the city, painting decorations worthy of the richest domus in Rome. Between the 1st and the 2nd c. AD, the status itself of wall painting changes, and it is well reflected in Ostia, where we see a radical change in the technique and the quality of the decorations. This paper will try to understand the reasons of that changing and to propose a first synthesis of the work laid by the Centro Studi Pittura Ostiense in the last years, trying to reconstruct the working of Ostian painters through time.

Co-authored with Robyn Price and Hans Barnard.

It is rare that researchers in the analysis of ancient materials explicitly address the procedural concerns necessary for working with both destructive and non-destructive methods. The following chapter is an investigation of four samples, taken non-invasively from several coffins housed at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science (DMNS). The samples became separated from the coffins during their thorough inspection and conservation, as often happens in such studies. This therefore provided the opportunity to compare destructive analyses to non-destructive analyses, as discussed in chapter 7, without additional invasive sampling, and the added risk of altering the integrity of the original object. In this examination, the authors sought to identify the materials present in the samples, as a way of contributing to the discussion of how the coffins were decorated. Furthermore, this chapter discusses the usefulness and limitations of both destructive and non-destructive analytical techniques and the procedural concerns that must be considered when such methods are applied.

This work concerns the characterisation of a set of wall painting and stucco fragments
collected during a rescue excavation carried out in 2013 by the Soprintendenza Archeologica in the
Monte d’Oro area (Rome). Due to the contextless archaeological situation, analyses were performed
to obtain more information about the collected materials. A multi-analytical approach has been
applied including spectroscopic (FTIR, Raman and visible reflectance analyses) and elemental analysis
(SEM-EDS) techniques. The chromatic palette has been in this way disclosed evidencing the use
of pigments such as cinnabar, Egyptian blue, red and yellow ochre and green earth, but also the
simultaneous use of them. The presence of a decoration achieved by using a gold leaf has been
highlighted also, indicating the preciousness of the decorations. The convenience and advantages
linked to the use of portable instrumentation have been also evidenced.