Diane Kunzelman | Syracuse University (original) (raw)
Papers by Diane Kunzelman
GIANNINO MARCHIG 1897-1983, 1994
Science, Technology and European Cultural Heritage, 1991
A new scanning device for infrared reflectography consisting of two orthogonal high-accuracy tran... more A new scanning device for infrared reflectography consisting of two orthogonal high-accuracy translations and an optical head equipped with an IR sensitive detector, is described. A personal computer controls both scanning and storage of the reflectograms. The advantages of this method are illustrated. In fact, scanner ref lectograms are not affected by the well-known defects of those obtained using traditional TV devices, and tedious mosaicing procedures are no longer necessary.
Additional file 1: Table S1. Molecular structures of mentioned compounds (6)(10).
Identification of the natural red dyes and lakes from plants (the madders) and insects (cochineal... more Identification of the natural red dyes and lakes from plants (the madders) and insects (cochineal, lac, and kermes) is typically carried out with destructive methods such as high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), which can require time consuming and complicated sample preparation and method development. Identification with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) is usually not possible due to the low concentration of the dye and the presence of the binder, and Raman is generally hindered by fluorescence without a specific instrumental set up. The ability to identify these materials with the non-invasive technique of UV-Vis-NIR fibre optic reflectance spectroscopy (FORS) offers many advantages, as no samples are required and the technique is very sensitive to dyes. There have already been several published studies on the analysis of these red dyes using FORS. While it is sometimes possible to distinguish between these dyes or broadly classify them as of animal or insec...
Journal of Raman Spectroscopy, 2016
The introduction of synthetic dyes and pigments into commerce in the late 19th century was a stim... more The introduction of synthetic dyes and pigments into commerce in the late 19th century was a stimulating time for experimental scientists in their laboratory formulations and for artists in their usage. Nowadays, the period of pioneering syntheses and employment of synthetic organic colouring materials is highly intriguing for scientific research and for conservation purposes in heritage science. In this work, a combination of spectroscopic and chromatographic methods has permitted the elucidation of the chemical composition of 16 early synthetic organic pigment powders from the Lefranc experimental laboratory collection dating 1890–1914. It can be hypothesized that the most successful of these formulations could have been finalized in paint tubes and released onto the market, meaning that they may even be found in artworks from the same period. Specifically, information from this crucial period of transition from the exclusive use of natural dyes/colourants (such as neoflavonoids and plant and insect anthraquinones) to the introduction of their synthetic counterparts (such as synthetic alizarin and purpurin, and acid stable cochineal, together with monoazo and diazo pigments) is confirmed through Raman/surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection. By means of X-ray fluorescence and mid-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, a combination of traditional and modern inorganic substrates has been identified (alum, kaolin, barium sulfate and metallic salts), while Raman has provided additional data regarding the possible complexation of these pigments in the form of lakes. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Identification of the natural red dyes and lakes from plants (the madders) and insects (cochineal... more Identification of the natural red dyes and lakes from plants (the madders) and insects (cochineal, lac, and kermes) is typically carried out with destructive methods such as high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), which can require time consuming and complicated sample preparation and method development. Identification with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) is usually not possible due to the low concentration of the dye and the presence of the binder, and Raman is generally hindered by fluorescence without a specific instrumental set up. The ability to identify these materials with the non-invasive technique of UV-Vis-NIR fibre optic reflectance spectroscopy (FORS) offers many advantages, as no samples are required and the technique is very sensitive to dyes. There have already been several published studies on the analysis of these red dyes using FORS. While it is sometimes possible to distinguish between these dyes or broadly classify them as of animal or insec...
Studies in Conservation, 1990
ABSTRACT An infrared scanner has been assembled at the Istituto Nazionale di Ottica (Florence) fo... more ABSTRACT An infrared scanner has been assembled at the Istituto Nazionale di Ottica (Florence) for obtaining high quality digitized IR reflectograms of paintings. Results are compared with conventional reflectograms obtained with a Hamamatsu N214 vidicon tube. /// Un scanner à infrarouges a été monté à l'Institut National d'Optique de Florence afin d'obtenir pour les peintures des réflectogrammes IR digitalisés de haute qualité. On compare les résultats avec des réflectogrammes conventionnels obtenus à l'aide d'un tube Vidicon Hamamatsu N214. /// Im Istituto Nazionale di Ottica in Florenz wurde eine Kamera entwickelt, mit der qualitativ hochwertige, digitalisierte Infrarotreflektogramme von Gemälden aufgenommen werden können. Die Ergebnisse werden mit konventionellen Reflektogrammen verglichen, die mit einer Hamamatsu N214 Vidicon Röhre gewonnen wurden.
Heritage Science
The characterisation of atelier materials and of the historical commercial formulation of paint m... more The characterisation of atelier materials and of the historical commercial formulation of paint materials has recently gained new interest in the field of conservation science applied to modern and contemporary art, since modern paint materials are subjected to peculiar and often unpredictable degradation and fading processes. Assessing the composition of the original materials purchased by artists can guide not only their identification in works of art, but also their restoration and conservation. Advances in characterisation methods and models for data interpretation are particularly important in studying organic coloring materials in the transition period corresponding to the late 19th-early 20th century, when many such variants or combinations were hypothetically possible in their formulations. There is thus a need for reliable databases of materials introduced in that period and for gaining chemical knowledge at a molecular level related to modern organic pigments, by state-of-the-art protocols. This paper reports on the results of a study on 44 samples of historical colorants in powder and paint tubes, containing both lake pigments and synthetic organic pigments dating from 1890 to 1926. The samples were collected at the Lefranc Archive in Le Mans (France) as a part of Project Futurahma "From Futurism to Classicism (1910Classicism ( -1922. Research, Art History and Material Analysis", (FIRB2012, Italian Ministry of University and Research), and were investigated using an analytical approach based on chromatographic and mass spectrometric techniques. The focus of the chemical analyses was to reveal the composition of the historical organic lake pigments including minor components, to discriminate between different recipes for the extraction of chromophore-containing molecules from the raw materials, and ultimately to distinguish between different formulations and recipes. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with diode array detector (DAD) or electrospray-Quadrupole-Time of Flight tandem mass spectrometry detector (ESI-Q-ToF) were chosen given their considerable capacity to identify such complex and widespread organic materials. Although the inorganic components of the pigments were not taken into account in this survey, the specific molecular profiles provided invaluable information on the extraction procedures or synthetic strategy followed by the different producers, at different times. For instance, the use of Kopp's purpurin and garancine was highlighted, and synthetic by-products were identified. The results provided evidence that the addition of synthetic organic pigments to paint mixtures started from 1910 onwards, but they also suggest that in the formulation of high quality (surfin) colorants, natural products were still preferred. Moreover, in one of the samples the use of murexide as the colouring material was confirmed. This paper presents the first systematic and comprehensive survey on organic lakes and pigments belonging to an historical archive, by both HPLC-DAD and HPLC-ESI-Q-ToF. Specific by-products of synthetic production of pigments, which can act as specific molecular markers for dating or locating a work of art, were also identified for the first time.
Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English), Jan 18, 2018
A concise insight into the outputs provided by the latest prototype of visible-near infrared (Vis... more A concise insight into the outputs provided by the latest prototype of visible-near infrared (Vis-NIR) multispectral scanner (National Research Council-National Institute of Optics, CNR-INO, Italy) is presented. The analytical data acquired on an oil painting Madonna of the Rabbit by É. Manet are described. In this work, the Vis-NIR was complemented with X-ray fluorescence (XRF) mapping for the chemical and spatial characterization of several pigments. The spatially registered Vis-NIR data facilitated their processing by spectral correlation mapping (SCM) and artificial neural network (ANN) algorithm, respectively, for pigment mapping and improved visibility of pentimenti and of underdrawing style. The data provided several key elements for the comparison with a homonymous original work by Titian studied within the ARCHive LABoratory (ARCHLAB) transnational access project.
SOMMARIO - La campagna di misure di fluorescenza X, su un gruppo di opere eseguite a Firenze nel ... more SOMMARIO - La campagna di misure di fluorescenza X, su un gruppo di opere eseguite a Firenze nel XVI secolo, costituisce il proseguimento di una ricognizione iniziata presso la Galleria degli Uffizi su dipinti i Pontormo, Bronzino e altri autori fiorentini a loro contemporanei. I dati raccolti hanno infatti consentito una conferma statistica, estendendo cosi i risultati a un numero più ampio di opere, a quanto inizialmente verificato nelle campagne di misure eseguite a Firenze. In particolare è stata confermata, su molti dei dipinti indagati, la presenza di piccole quantità di manganese nelle stesure realizzate con lacche.
Studies in Conservation, 1990
ABSTRACT An infrared scanner has been assembled at the Istituto Nazionale di Ottica (Florence) fo... more ABSTRACT An infrared scanner has been assembled at the Istituto Nazionale di Ottica (Florence) for obtaining high quality digitized IR reflectograms of paintings. Results are compared with conventional reflectograms obtained with a Hamamatsu N214 vidicon tube. /// Un scanner à infrarouges a été monté à l'Institut National d'Optique de Florence afin d'obtenir pour les peintures des réflectogrammes IR digitalisés de haute qualité. On compare les résultats avec des réflectogrammes conventionnels obtenus à l'aide d'un tube Vidicon Hamamatsu N214. /// Im Istituto Nazionale di Ottica in Florenz wurde eine Kamera entwickelt, mit der qualitativ hochwertige, digitalisierte Infrarotreflektogramme von Gemälden aufgenommen werden können. Die Ergebnisse werden mit konventionellen Reflektogrammen verglichen, die mit einer Hamamatsu N214 Vidicon Röhre gewonnen wurden.
Heritage Science
The characterisation of atelier materials and of the historical commercial formulation of paint m... more The characterisation of atelier materials and of the historical commercial formulation of paint materials has recently gained new interest in the field of conservation science applied to modern and contemporary art, since modern paint materials are subjected to peculiar and often unpredictable degradation and fading processes. Assessing the composition of the original materials purchased by artists can guide not only their identification in works of art, but also their restoration and conservation. Advances in characterisation methods and models for data interpretation are particularly important in studying organic coloring materials in the transition period corresponding to the late 19th-early 20th century, when many such variants or combinations were hypothetically possible in their formulations. There is thus a need for reliable databases of materials introduced in that period and for gaining chemical knowledge at a molecular level related to modern organic pigments, by state-of-the-art protocols. This paper reports on the results of a study on 44 samples of historical colorants in powder and paint tubes, containing both lake pigments and synthetic organic pigments dating from 1890 to 1926. The samples were collected at the Lefranc Archive in Le Mans (France) as a part of Project Futurahma "From Futurism to Classicism (1910Classicism ( -1922. Research, Art History and Material Analysis", (FIRB2012, Italian Ministry of University and Research), and were investigated using an analytical approach based on chromatographic and mass spectrometric techniques. The focus of the chemical analyses was to reveal the composition of the historical organic lake pigments including minor components, to discriminate between different recipes for the extraction of chromophore-containing molecules from the raw materials, and ultimately to distinguish between different formulations and recipes. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with diode array detector (DAD) or electrospray-Quadrupole-Time of Flight tandem mass spectrometry detector (ESI-Q-ToF) were chosen given their considerable capacity to identify such complex and widespread organic materials. Although the inorganic components of the pigments were not taken into account in this survey, the specific molecular profiles provided invaluable information on the extraction procedures or synthetic strategy followed by the different producers, at different times. For instance, the use of Kopp's purpurin and garancine was highlighted, and synthetic by-products were identified. The results provided evidence that the addition of synthetic organic pigments to paint mixtures started from 1910 onwards, but they also suggest that in the formulation of high quality (surfin) colorants, natural products were still preferred. Moreover, in one of the samples the use of murexide as the colouring material was confirmed. This paper presents the first systematic and comprehensive survey on organic lakes and pigments belonging to an historical archive, by both HPLC-DAD and HPLC-ESI-Q-ToF. Specific by-products of synthetic production of pigments, which can act as specific molecular markers for dating or locating a work of art, were also identified for the first time.
Journal of the American Institute for Conservation, 2007
ABSTRACT Fiber optic reflectance spectroscopy in the 270–1700 nm range was used to identify white... more ABSTRACT Fiber optic reflectance spectroscopy in the 270–1700 nm range was used to identify white pigments typically used in 20th-century paintings and as restoration materials, such as lead white, zinc white, titanium white in the two crystalline forms anatase and rutile, lithopone, and kaolin. Use of the non-invasive, in situ technique was undertaken in accordance with the principles of minimum intervention, which guide the restoration and conservation of artworks. With this technique, a suitable spectroscopic database of the pigments was first created, using various instrumental set-ups. Subsequently, fiber optic reflectance spectroscopy was applied to the study of two paintings from the Galleria di arte moderna, Palazzo Pitti, Florence: Mercato by Elisabeth Chaplin, dating probably from the 1920s, and Renaioli, painted in 1950 by Bruno Rosai. The purpose was to better understand the evolution of the use of such white pigments during the past century, and also to provide useful information concerning questions of chronology.
SOMMARIO - La campagna di misure di fluorescenza X, su un gruppo di opere eseguite a Firenze nel ... more SOMMARIO - La campagna di misure di fluorescenza X, su un gruppo di opere eseguite a Firenze nel XVI secolo, costituisce il proseguimento di una ricognizione iniziata presso la Galleria degli Uffizi su dipinti i Pontormo, Bronzino e altri autori fiorentini a loro contemporanei. I dati raccolti hanno infatti consentito una conferma statistica, estendendo cosi i risultati a un numero più ampio di opere, a quanto inizialmente verificato nelle campagne di misure eseguite a Firenze. In particolare è stata confermata, su molti dei dipinti indagati, la presenza di piccole quantità di manganese nelle stesure realizzate con lacche.
Studies in Conservation, 1990
ABSTRACT An infrared scanner has been assembled at the Istituto Nazionale di Ottica (Florence) fo... more ABSTRACT An infrared scanner has been assembled at the Istituto Nazionale di Ottica (Florence) for obtaining high quality digitized IR reflectograms of paintings. Results are compared with conventional reflectograms obtained with a Hamamatsu N214 vidicon tube. /// Un scanner à infrarouges a été monté à l'Institut National d'Optique de Florence afin d'obtenir pour les peintures des réflectogrammes IR digitalisés de haute qualité. On compare les résultats avec des réflectogrammes conventionnels obtenus à l'aide d'un tube Vidicon Hamamatsu N214. /// Im Istituto Nazionale di Ottica in Florenz wurde eine Kamera entwickelt, mit der qualitativ hochwertige, digitalisierte Infrarotreflektogramme von Gemälden aufgenommen werden können. Die Ergebnisse werden mit konventionellen Reflektogrammen verglichen, die mit einer Hamamatsu N214 Vidicon Röhre gewonnen wurden.
GIANNINO MARCHIG 1897-1983, 1994
Science, Technology and European Cultural Heritage, 1991
A new scanning device for infrared reflectography consisting of two orthogonal high-accuracy tran... more A new scanning device for infrared reflectography consisting of two orthogonal high-accuracy translations and an optical head equipped with an IR sensitive detector, is described. A personal computer controls both scanning and storage of the reflectograms. The advantages of this method are illustrated. In fact, scanner ref lectograms are not affected by the well-known defects of those obtained using traditional TV devices, and tedious mosaicing procedures are no longer necessary.
Additional file 1: Table S1. Molecular structures of mentioned compounds (6)(10).
Identification of the natural red dyes and lakes from plants (the madders) and insects (cochineal... more Identification of the natural red dyes and lakes from plants (the madders) and insects (cochineal, lac, and kermes) is typically carried out with destructive methods such as high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), which can require time consuming and complicated sample preparation and method development. Identification with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) is usually not possible due to the low concentration of the dye and the presence of the binder, and Raman is generally hindered by fluorescence without a specific instrumental set up. The ability to identify these materials with the non-invasive technique of UV-Vis-NIR fibre optic reflectance spectroscopy (FORS) offers many advantages, as no samples are required and the technique is very sensitive to dyes. There have already been several published studies on the analysis of these red dyes using FORS. While it is sometimes possible to distinguish between these dyes or broadly classify them as of animal or insec...
Journal of Raman Spectroscopy, 2016
The introduction of synthetic dyes and pigments into commerce in the late 19th century was a stim... more The introduction of synthetic dyes and pigments into commerce in the late 19th century was a stimulating time for experimental scientists in their laboratory formulations and for artists in their usage. Nowadays, the period of pioneering syntheses and employment of synthetic organic colouring materials is highly intriguing for scientific research and for conservation purposes in heritage science. In this work, a combination of spectroscopic and chromatographic methods has permitted the elucidation of the chemical composition of 16 early synthetic organic pigment powders from the Lefranc experimental laboratory collection dating 1890–1914. It can be hypothesized that the most successful of these formulations could have been finalized in paint tubes and released onto the market, meaning that they may even be found in artworks from the same period. Specifically, information from this crucial period of transition from the exclusive use of natural dyes/colourants (such as neoflavonoids and plant and insect anthraquinones) to the introduction of their synthetic counterparts (such as synthetic alizarin and purpurin, and acid stable cochineal, together with monoazo and diazo pigments) is confirmed through Raman/surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection. By means of X-ray fluorescence and mid-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, a combination of traditional and modern inorganic substrates has been identified (alum, kaolin, barium sulfate and metallic salts), while Raman has provided additional data regarding the possible complexation of these pigments in the form of lakes. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Identification of the natural red dyes and lakes from plants (the madders) and insects (cochineal... more Identification of the natural red dyes and lakes from plants (the madders) and insects (cochineal, lac, and kermes) is typically carried out with destructive methods such as high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), which can require time consuming and complicated sample preparation and method development. Identification with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) is usually not possible due to the low concentration of the dye and the presence of the binder, and Raman is generally hindered by fluorescence without a specific instrumental set up. The ability to identify these materials with the non-invasive technique of UV-Vis-NIR fibre optic reflectance spectroscopy (FORS) offers many advantages, as no samples are required and the technique is very sensitive to dyes. There have already been several published studies on the analysis of these red dyes using FORS. While it is sometimes possible to distinguish between these dyes or broadly classify them as of animal or insec...
Studies in Conservation, 1990
ABSTRACT An infrared scanner has been assembled at the Istituto Nazionale di Ottica (Florence) fo... more ABSTRACT An infrared scanner has been assembled at the Istituto Nazionale di Ottica (Florence) for obtaining high quality digitized IR reflectograms of paintings. Results are compared with conventional reflectograms obtained with a Hamamatsu N214 vidicon tube. /// Un scanner à infrarouges a été monté à l'Institut National d'Optique de Florence afin d'obtenir pour les peintures des réflectogrammes IR digitalisés de haute qualité. On compare les résultats avec des réflectogrammes conventionnels obtenus à l'aide d'un tube Vidicon Hamamatsu N214. /// Im Istituto Nazionale di Ottica in Florenz wurde eine Kamera entwickelt, mit der qualitativ hochwertige, digitalisierte Infrarotreflektogramme von Gemälden aufgenommen werden können. Die Ergebnisse werden mit konventionellen Reflektogrammen verglichen, die mit einer Hamamatsu N214 Vidicon Röhre gewonnen wurden.
Heritage Science
The characterisation of atelier materials and of the historical commercial formulation of paint m... more The characterisation of atelier materials and of the historical commercial formulation of paint materials has recently gained new interest in the field of conservation science applied to modern and contemporary art, since modern paint materials are subjected to peculiar and often unpredictable degradation and fading processes. Assessing the composition of the original materials purchased by artists can guide not only their identification in works of art, but also their restoration and conservation. Advances in characterisation methods and models for data interpretation are particularly important in studying organic coloring materials in the transition period corresponding to the late 19th-early 20th century, when many such variants or combinations were hypothetically possible in their formulations. There is thus a need for reliable databases of materials introduced in that period and for gaining chemical knowledge at a molecular level related to modern organic pigments, by state-of-the-art protocols. This paper reports on the results of a study on 44 samples of historical colorants in powder and paint tubes, containing both lake pigments and synthetic organic pigments dating from 1890 to 1926. The samples were collected at the Lefranc Archive in Le Mans (France) as a part of Project Futurahma "From Futurism to Classicism (1910Classicism ( -1922. Research, Art History and Material Analysis", (FIRB2012, Italian Ministry of University and Research), and were investigated using an analytical approach based on chromatographic and mass spectrometric techniques. The focus of the chemical analyses was to reveal the composition of the historical organic lake pigments including minor components, to discriminate between different recipes for the extraction of chromophore-containing molecules from the raw materials, and ultimately to distinguish between different formulations and recipes. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with diode array detector (DAD) or electrospray-Quadrupole-Time of Flight tandem mass spectrometry detector (ESI-Q-ToF) were chosen given their considerable capacity to identify such complex and widespread organic materials. Although the inorganic components of the pigments were not taken into account in this survey, the specific molecular profiles provided invaluable information on the extraction procedures or synthetic strategy followed by the different producers, at different times. For instance, the use of Kopp's purpurin and garancine was highlighted, and synthetic by-products were identified. The results provided evidence that the addition of synthetic organic pigments to paint mixtures started from 1910 onwards, but they also suggest that in the formulation of high quality (surfin) colorants, natural products were still preferred. Moreover, in one of the samples the use of murexide as the colouring material was confirmed. This paper presents the first systematic and comprehensive survey on organic lakes and pigments belonging to an historical archive, by both HPLC-DAD and HPLC-ESI-Q-ToF. Specific by-products of synthetic production of pigments, which can act as specific molecular markers for dating or locating a work of art, were also identified for the first time.
Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English), Jan 18, 2018
A concise insight into the outputs provided by the latest prototype of visible-near infrared (Vis... more A concise insight into the outputs provided by the latest prototype of visible-near infrared (Vis-NIR) multispectral scanner (National Research Council-National Institute of Optics, CNR-INO, Italy) is presented. The analytical data acquired on an oil painting Madonna of the Rabbit by É. Manet are described. In this work, the Vis-NIR was complemented with X-ray fluorescence (XRF) mapping for the chemical and spatial characterization of several pigments. The spatially registered Vis-NIR data facilitated their processing by spectral correlation mapping (SCM) and artificial neural network (ANN) algorithm, respectively, for pigment mapping and improved visibility of pentimenti and of underdrawing style. The data provided several key elements for the comparison with a homonymous original work by Titian studied within the ARCHive LABoratory (ARCHLAB) transnational access project.
SOMMARIO - La campagna di misure di fluorescenza X, su un gruppo di opere eseguite a Firenze nel ... more SOMMARIO - La campagna di misure di fluorescenza X, su un gruppo di opere eseguite a Firenze nel XVI secolo, costituisce il proseguimento di una ricognizione iniziata presso la Galleria degli Uffizi su dipinti i Pontormo, Bronzino e altri autori fiorentini a loro contemporanei. I dati raccolti hanno infatti consentito una conferma statistica, estendendo cosi i risultati a un numero più ampio di opere, a quanto inizialmente verificato nelle campagne di misure eseguite a Firenze. In particolare è stata confermata, su molti dei dipinti indagati, la presenza di piccole quantità di manganese nelle stesure realizzate con lacche.
Studies in Conservation, 1990
ABSTRACT An infrared scanner has been assembled at the Istituto Nazionale di Ottica (Florence) fo... more ABSTRACT An infrared scanner has been assembled at the Istituto Nazionale di Ottica (Florence) for obtaining high quality digitized IR reflectograms of paintings. Results are compared with conventional reflectograms obtained with a Hamamatsu N214 vidicon tube. /// Un scanner à infrarouges a été monté à l'Institut National d'Optique de Florence afin d'obtenir pour les peintures des réflectogrammes IR digitalisés de haute qualité. On compare les résultats avec des réflectogrammes conventionnels obtenus à l'aide d'un tube Vidicon Hamamatsu N214. /// Im Istituto Nazionale di Ottica in Florenz wurde eine Kamera entwickelt, mit der qualitativ hochwertige, digitalisierte Infrarotreflektogramme von Gemälden aufgenommen werden können. Die Ergebnisse werden mit konventionellen Reflektogrammen verglichen, die mit einer Hamamatsu N214 Vidicon Röhre gewonnen wurden.
Heritage Science
The characterisation of atelier materials and of the historical commercial formulation of paint m... more The characterisation of atelier materials and of the historical commercial formulation of paint materials has recently gained new interest in the field of conservation science applied to modern and contemporary art, since modern paint materials are subjected to peculiar and often unpredictable degradation and fading processes. Assessing the composition of the original materials purchased by artists can guide not only their identification in works of art, but also their restoration and conservation. Advances in characterisation methods and models for data interpretation are particularly important in studying organic coloring materials in the transition period corresponding to the late 19th-early 20th century, when many such variants or combinations were hypothetically possible in their formulations. There is thus a need for reliable databases of materials introduced in that period and for gaining chemical knowledge at a molecular level related to modern organic pigments, by state-of-the-art protocols. This paper reports on the results of a study on 44 samples of historical colorants in powder and paint tubes, containing both lake pigments and synthetic organic pigments dating from 1890 to 1926. The samples were collected at the Lefranc Archive in Le Mans (France) as a part of Project Futurahma "From Futurism to Classicism (1910Classicism ( -1922. Research, Art History and Material Analysis", (FIRB2012, Italian Ministry of University and Research), and were investigated using an analytical approach based on chromatographic and mass spectrometric techniques. The focus of the chemical analyses was to reveal the composition of the historical organic lake pigments including minor components, to discriminate between different recipes for the extraction of chromophore-containing molecules from the raw materials, and ultimately to distinguish between different formulations and recipes. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with diode array detector (DAD) or electrospray-Quadrupole-Time of Flight tandem mass spectrometry detector (ESI-Q-ToF) were chosen given their considerable capacity to identify such complex and widespread organic materials. Although the inorganic components of the pigments were not taken into account in this survey, the specific molecular profiles provided invaluable information on the extraction procedures or synthetic strategy followed by the different producers, at different times. For instance, the use of Kopp's purpurin and garancine was highlighted, and synthetic by-products were identified. The results provided evidence that the addition of synthetic organic pigments to paint mixtures started from 1910 onwards, but they also suggest that in the formulation of high quality (surfin) colorants, natural products were still preferred. Moreover, in one of the samples the use of murexide as the colouring material was confirmed. This paper presents the first systematic and comprehensive survey on organic lakes and pigments belonging to an historical archive, by both HPLC-DAD and HPLC-ESI-Q-ToF. Specific by-products of synthetic production of pigments, which can act as specific molecular markers for dating or locating a work of art, were also identified for the first time.
Journal of the American Institute for Conservation, 2007
ABSTRACT Fiber optic reflectance spectroscopy in the 270–1700 nm range was used to identify white... more ABSTRACT Fiber optic reflectance spectroscopy in the 270–1700 nm range was used to identify white pigments typically used in 20th-century paintings and as restoration materials, such as lead white, zinc white, titanium white in the two crystalline forms anatase and rutile, lithopone, and kaolin. Use of the non-invasive, in situ technique was undertaken in accordance with the principles of minimum intervention, which guide the restoration and conservation of artworks. With this technique, a suitable spectroscopic database of the pigments was first created, using various instrumental set-ups. Subsequently, fiber optic reflectance spectroscopy was applied to the study of two paintings from the Galleria di arte moderna, Palazzo Pitti, Florence: Mercato by Elisabeth Chaplin, dating probably from the 1920s, and Renaioli, painted in 1950 by Bruno Rosai. The purpose was to better understand the evolution of the use of such white pigments during the past century, and also to provide useful information concerning questions of chronology.
SOMMARIO - La campagna di misure di fluorescenza X, su un gruppo di opere eseguite a Firenze nel ... more SOMMARIO - La campagna di misure di fluorescenza X, su un gruppo di opere eseguite a Firenze nel XVI secolo, costituisce il proseguimento di una ricognizione iniziata presso la Galleria degli Uffizi su dipinti i Pontormo, Bronzino e altri autori fiorentini a loro contemporanei. I dati raccolti hanno infatti consentito una conferma statistica, estendendo cosi i risultati a un numero più ampio di opere, a quanto inizialmente verificato nelle campagne di misure eseguite a Firenze. In particolare è stata confermata, su molti dei dipinti indagati, la presenza di piccole quantità di manganese nelle stesure realizzate con lacche.
Studies in Conservation, 1990
ABSTRACT An infrared scanner has been assembled at the Istituto Nazionale di Ottica (Florence) fo... more ABSTRACT An infrared scanner has been assembled at the Istituto Nazionale di Ottica (Florence) for obtaining high quality digitized IR reflectograms of paintings. Results are compared with conventional reflectograms obtained with a Hamamatsu N214 vidicon tube. /// Un scanner à infrarouges a été monté à l'Institut National d'Optique de Florence afin d'obtenir pour les peintures des réflectogrammes IR digitalisés de haute qualité. On compare les résultats avec des réflectogrammes conventionnels obtenus à l'aide d'un tube Vidicon Hamamatsu N214. /// Im Istituto Nazionale di Ottica in Florenz wurde eine Kamera entwickelt, mit der qualitativ hochwertige, digitalisierte Infrarotreflektogramme von Gemälden aufgenommen werden können. Die Ergebnisse werden mit konventionellen Reflektogrammen verglichen, die mit einer Hamamatsu N214 Vidicon Röhre gewonnen wurden.