Sara Valadas | Universidade de Évora (original) (raw)
Papers by Sara Valadas
This research focuses on the application of microanalytical techniques to the material analysis a... more This research focuses on the application of microanalytical techniques to the material analysis and technical study of the preparation´s of twenty-one easel paintings attributed to the Frei Carlos workshop, one of the most important Portuguese-Flemish painters, active between 1517 and 1539-1540. The study of the work attributed to Espinheiro´s workshop began with the macroscopic observation of the paintings and area exams. The analytical study was based primarily on the identification of inorganic and organic materials that compose these preparatory layers by optical microscopy (OM), FTIR-μ e SEMEDS. This study aims to establish a new perspective of the Espinheiro´s workshop by the relationship between the nature of the preparations (2 types of preparation: calcium sulfate and calcium carbonate) and its relationship to European techniques of artistic productio
A caracterização material do Foral da Lousã teve como objetivo identificar os materiais usados na... more A caracterização material do Foral da Lousã teve como objetivo identificar os materiais usados na sua produção. Inicialmente, foi efectuada uma observação detalhada da versão A e B do Foral da Lousã com recurso a um microscópio estereoscópico, o que permitiu avaliar o seu estado geral de conservação, identificar algumas diferenças entre a natureza dos materiais utilizados e identificar os melhores locais para a sua micro-amostragem.Neste estudo foram utilizadas quatro técnicas de análise: três técnicas moleculares, que permitem a identificação dos compostos químicos constituintes dos materiais: micro-FTIR (micro-espetrometria de infravermelho com transformada de Fourier), HPLC-DAD (cromatografia líquida de elevada eficiência com detetor de fotodíodos) e micro-Raman (micro-espetrometria de Raman); e uma técnica elementar, que identifica e permite a análise semiquantitativa e micro-estrutural dos elementos químicos presentes nos materiais: MEV/EDS (microscopia eletrónica de varrimento com espectrometria de raios X por dispersão de energias)
A casa de Fresco de Sanches de Baena situado em Vila Viçosa é um exemplo gritante de um patrimóni... more A casa de Fresco de Sanches de Baena situado em Vila Viçosa é um exemplo gritante de um património cultural em risco, que apela a um estudo e intervenção urgentes para a sua salvaguarda e preservação. No âmbito do projecto MURAL2D: Murais em Risco no Alentejo – Degradação e Diagnóstico, pretende-se dar continuidade aos estudos já iniciados em 2008 pelo laboratório HERCULES da Universidade de Évora, ao nível das técnicas, materiais e estado de conservação dos elementos decorativos que revestem as paredes e a abóbada de aresta deste espaço do final do século XVI ou início do XVII (pintura mural, estuques modelados e embrechados). O objectivo é o levantamento de dados que possibilitem a obtenção de um conhecimento aprofundado dos materiais e dos mecanismos de degradação, para que, no futuro, estes possam servir de base à elaboração de uma proposta de conservação
Na linha do crescente interesse, na historiografia internacional, pela reivindicação da importânc... more Na linha do crescente interesse, na historiografia internacional, pela reivindicação da importância da cor na experiência estética dos espaços arquitectónicos medievais, o projecto Monumental Polychromy: revealing medieval colours at Batalha, financiado pelo Instituto de História da Arte (FCSH-UNL) e pela Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, nasceu do desejo de abrir um campo de estudo focado na aplicação da policromia na arquitectura e na tumulária medievais portuguesas, tomando como caso de estudo a Capela do Fundador, no Mosteiro de Santa Maria da Vitória, na Batalha, onde os vestígios são significativos e, até ao momento, inexplorados. Para tal, articulámos a investigação histórico-artística ao estudo material, com o objectivo de alcançar uma reconstituição que permita formular hipóteses acerca dos valores estéticos, simbólicos e sociais que possam ter estado associados à utilização da cor naquele contexto específico. Esta metodologia de trabalho interdisciplinar tem permitido revelar ...
Estudo Técnico e Analítico’ in Praça Universal de todo o orbe: Uma vista de lisboa em 161
This paper focuses on a collection of reliquary busts integrated in the reliquary sanctuary of Ma... more This paper focuses on a collection of reliquary busts integrated in the reliquary sanctuary of Madre de Deus Convent. It explores the ARCAer project which will address this set through its historical, stylistic and iconological study. It will include laboratory analysis of the materials and technologies associated with the production of the sculptures with the intend of establishing affinities and differences between the several objects, which may bring clarification about their origins, their ordering process and the conservation treatment of the set. It is intended to recover the works and relocate them in their original places, resuming an integrated discourse that was lost. Also, the project aims to reflect upon the human drive to preserve material memories, establishing parallels with our days
Color Research & Application
Additional file 2: Appendix S2. Performance and appearance of the reconstructed underdrawing.
Additional file 1: Appendix S1. Materials and suppliers.
Heritage, 2022
In recent decades, many works have been devoted to the study of materials and painting techniques... more In recent decades, many works have been devoted to the study of materials and painting techniques used to produce illuminated manuscripts. If the analyses were once largely invasive, the approach has become increasingly more in situ and non-invasive over the years. This work presents the results of the analysis of the Portuguese Charter of Évora, an illuminated manuscript that dates back to 1501, combining an elemental mapping technique (MA-XRF) with the non-invasive imaging techniques of infrared reflectography and digital microscopy. Remarkably, this approach allowed us to obtain unexpected results regarding the chronology of production of the illumination of the view of the City of Évora and of the Charter of Évora itself, posing new questions for art history on the political, social and artistic context of the early 16th century City of Évora.
This paper unveils for the first time the technical and material features of the mural painting e... more This paper unveils for the first time the technical and material features of the mural painting entitled Pentecost’s, executed by the Portuguese artist Julio Resende in 1955. The painting depicting twelve Apostles covers the altarpiece of a small church in the countryside of Évora (southern Portugal) and it was rediscovered in 2013 by art historians. The research was carried out with both non-invasive and micro-destructive techniques. In situ examination included technical photography in visible (Vis/Vis-RAK) and in infrared (NIR) light range, ultraviolet induced visible fluorescence (UVF), portable optical microscopy, visible spectrophotometry and handheld energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (hXRF). Further analysis on paint layers micro-samples were undertaken by dark field optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDS) and micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (μ-FTIR). According to the acqui...
Heritage, 2021
A diachronic, multi-analytical approach combining EDXRF, µFTIR, µRaman, SEM-EDS, and Py-GC/MS has... more A diachronic, multi-analytical approach combining EDXRF, µFTIR, µRaman, SEM-EDS, and Py-GC/MS has been adopted with the aim to study for the first time the painting materials used to decorate Egyptian funerary masks and sarcophagi ranging from the Late Period to the Roman Period and stored in the Archaeological National Museum (MNA) and the Carmo Archaeological Museum (MAC) of Lisbon and the Natural History Museum of the University in Oporto (MNH-FCUP). Results indicate that yellow and red ochres, realgar, cinnabar, Egyptian blue, and Egyptian green were used as pigments while chalk served as the preparatory layer. Over the 1000-year timeline of the studied artifacts, the palette remained remarkably consistent with previous findings as exemplified by cinnabar being used for red pigments in samples only dated after the Ptolemaic period. The presence of Sn in Egyptian blue and Egyptian green pigments used in one sample suggests the use of recycled bronze scraps during pigment producti...
Conservar Património, 2020
Goa Cathedral former altarpiece, attributed to Garcia Fernandes and made around 1538, is one of t... more Goa Cathedral former altarpiece, attributed to Garcia Fernandes and made around 1538, is one of the oldest western pictorial works in India. It is a work of great importance in the establishment of the conquest of Goa by the Portuguese but also for understanding the influence of Portuguese painting overseas. Goa Cathedral former altarpiece is revealed as a crucial study source of Garcia Fernandes' creative process. There is evidence in the vigorous underdrawing of these paintings, of the existence of different types of drawing, as well as abandoned iconographic themes, or formal alterations of compositions. The iconographic and stylistic study evidences north and south-European influences in the choice and representation of the themes around the Martírio de Santa Catarina. In the present study, this work is compared in the making of the underdrawing with other works attributed to Garcia Fernandes.
Journal of Cultural Heritage, 2019
Colourless glass particles were identified for the first time in Portuguese paintings in two alta... more Colourless glass particles were identified for the first time in Portuguese paintings in two altarpieces attributed to the painter Francisco João, active between 1558 and 1595. They were found in red glazes with conservation problems. The glass was analysed by SEM-EDX and the binder by-FTIR. Portuguese 17th century painting treatises, which record earlier practices, were examined providing additional information. The glass particles had a vegetable silica-soda-lime composition, different in the two altarpieces, and a medium to very high alumina content. Although the provenance of the glass could not be determined, the use of local glass is suggested, as archaeological glass of the same period and similar composition has been found in southern Europe, notably Portugal. Furthermore, the glass from one of the altarpieces closely matches the composition of glass found in a painting by the Spaniard Luis de Morales. As a result, it is possible that the painter deliberately added a local glass to his red lakes, as advised in the two Portuguese painting treatises of this period. The exclusive presence of glass in the uppermost medium-rich glazes suggests that it was mainly used for its transparency and assumed siccative role. Although the siccative properties of glass have not been proved, by lowering the oil concentration in the paint, the addition of glass might have indirectly assisted the drying of the glazes. The glass particles were subject to a severe leaching of the alkali, a degradation that might explain the disruption of the glaze layers in these paintings.
Heritage, 2019
The painting collection of Santa Casa da Misericórdia da Lourinhã is amongst Portugal’s most nota... more The painting collection of Santa Casa da Misericórdia da Lourinhã is amongst Portugal’s most notable and scarcely best-known cultural heritage. The artistic interest of this pictorial group, besides the advanced state of degradation of a number of the paintings, together with the ruined circumstances of the building accommodating the collection, today in reconstruction, were the key reasons for this study. Thermo-hygrometric measurements were carried out. A multianalytical methodology incorporating micro-X-ray diffraction (µ-XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (EDXRF), scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM–EDS), micro-Raman spectroscopy (µ-Raman), micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (µ-FTIR) has been followed for the study. These analyses were complemented by infrared photography (IRP) and reflectography (IRR), allowing the study of the underdrawing technique. The results of this study were compared with previous ones of the p...
Journal of Molecular Structure, 2019
In this work we address the study of three groups painted by Josefa d' Óbidos (1630-1684) and by ... more In this work we address the study of three groups painted by Josefa d' Óbidos (1630-1684) and by her father Baltazar Gomes Figueira (1604-1674). These painters were the most important pair working in the 17 th century in Portugal with a Proto-Baroque style and the materials and techniques used by their workshop are almost unknown. Analytical procedures employed to characterize the materials and painting techniques involve molecular spectroscopy with μ-Confocal Raman (μ-Raman) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (μ-FTIR) in combination with other complementary methods such as X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy (XRF), μ-X-ray diffraction (μ-XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). Results are compared with the instructions of the most significant coeval Iberian painting treatises, with influence on Óbidos workshop. Conclusions of this study bring the first insight on the materials used, technical procedures and evolution from panel to canvas of Óbidos painting workshop, particularly highlighting the work of Josefa d' Óbidos, the greatest female Portuguese painter of all times.
Micron, 2016
This paper focusses on the study of the underdrawings of 16th century easel paintings attributed ... more This paper focusses on the study of the underdrawings of 16th century easel paintings attributed to the workshop of the Portuguese-Flemish Master Frei Carlos. This investigation encompasses multidisciplinary research that relates the results of surface exams (infrared reflectography, standard light photography and infrared photography) with analytical investigations. The surface analysis of Frei Carlos' underdrawings by infrared reflectography has shown heterogeneous work, revealing two different situations: (1) an abundant and expressive underdrawing, revealing a Flemish influence and (2) a simple and outlined underdrawing. This preliminary research raised an important question related to this Portuguese-Flemish workshop and to the analytical approach: Is the underdrawing's heterogeneity, as observed in the reflectograms, related to different artists or is this rather an effect that is produced due to the use of different materials in the underdrawing's execution? Consequently, if different materials were used, how can we have access to the hidden underdrawings? In order to understand the reasons for this dissemblance, chemical analysis of micro-samples collected in underdrawing areas and representing both situations were carried out by optical microscopy, micro Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (-FTIR), scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDX) and micro-Raman spectroscopy (-Raman). Taking into account the different possibilities and practical and theoretical limitations of surface and punctual examinations in the study of easel painting underdrawings, the methodology of research was adjusted, sometimes resulting in a re-analysis of experimental results. This research shows the importance of combining multispectral surface exams and chemical analysis in the understanding of the artistic creative processes of 16th century easel paintings.
De acordo com as evidências históricas e arqueológicas, a Cidade Romana de Ammaia (Marvão, Portug... more De acordo com as evidências históricas e arqueológicas, a Cidade Romana de Ammaia (Marvão, Portugal) terá sido fundada no século I d.C., atingindo o seu auge nos séculos I-II d.C., como importante centro urbano da Lusitânia [1]. Progressivamente, terá sido abandonada até ao século IX, não sendo conhecida até ao momento ocupação posterior. Nos 15 anos de escavações, foram postas a descoberto diversas estruturas arqueológicas da Porta Sul, a praça de entrada na cidade, a área do Forum, as termas, e sob o actual Museu, uma zona habitacional. A área das ruínas encontra-se actualmente sob protecção da Fundação Cidade de Ammaia e a orientação científica da Universidade de Évora. Para a presente investigação salientam-se as argamassas, materiais de construção cuja preparação depende directamente da quantidade e qualidade da matéria-prima disponível. As argamassas são potencialmente reveladoras do conhecimento das tecnologias de construção/produção artística de uma sociedade, da sua relação...
This research focuses on the application of microanalytical techniques to the material analysis a... more This research focuses on the application of microanalytical techniques to the material analysis and technical study of the preparation´s of twenty-one easel paintings attributed to the Frei Carlos workshop, one of the most important Portuguese-Flemish painters, active between 1517 and 1539-1540. The study of the work attributed to Espinheiro´s workshop began with the macroscopic observation of the paintings and area exams. The analytical study was based primarily on the identification of inorganic and organic materials that compose these preparatory layers by optical microscopy (OM), FTIR-μ e SEMEDS. This study aims to establish a new perspective of the Espinheiro´s workshop by the relationship between the nature of the preparations (2 types of preparation: calcium sulfate and calcium carbonate) and its relationship to European techniques of artistic productio
A caracterização material do Foral da Lousã teve como objetivo identificar os materiais usados na... more A caracterização material do Foral da Lousã teve como objetivo identificar os materiais usados na sua produção. Inicialmente, foi efectuada uma observação detalhada da versão A e B do Foral da Lousã com recurso a um microscópio estereoscópico, o que permitiu avaliar o seu estado geral de conservação, identificar algumas diferenças entre a natureza dos materiais utilizados e identificar os melhores locais para a sua micro-amostragem.Neste estudo foram utilizadas quatro técnicas de análise: três técnicas moleculares, que permitem a identificação dos compostos químicos constituintes dos materiais: micro-FTIR (micro-espetrometria de infravermelho com transformada de Fourier), HPLC-DAD (cromatografia líquida de elevada eficiência com detetor de fotodíodos) e micro-Raman (micro-espetrometria de Raman); e uma técnica elementar, que identifica e permite a análise semiquantitativa e micro-estrutural dos elementos químicos presentes nos materiais: MEV/EDS (microscopia eletrónica de varrimento com espectrometria de raios X por dispersão de energias)
A casa de Fresco de Sanches de Baena situado em Vila Viçosa é um exemplo gritante de um patrimóni... more A casa de Fresco de Sanches de Baena situado em Vila Viçosa é um exemplo gritante de um património cultural em risco, que apela a um estudo e intervenção urgentes para a sua salvaguarda e preservação. No âmbito do projecto MURAL2D: Murais em Risco no Alentejo – Degradação e Diagnóstico, pretende-se dar continuidade aos estudos já iniciados em 2008 pelo laboratório HERCULES da Universidade de Évora, ao nível das técnicas, materiais e estado de conservação dos elementos decorativos que revestem as paredes e a abóbada de aresta deste espaço do final do século XVI ou início do XVII (pintura mural, estuques modelados e embrechados). O objectivo é o levantamento de dados que possibilitem a obtenção de um conhecimento aprofundado dos materiais e dos mecanismos de degradação, para que, no futuro, estes possam servir de base à elaboração de uma proposta de conservação
Na linha do crescente interesse, na historiografia internacional, pela reivindicação da importânc... more Na linha do crescente interesse, na historiografia internacional, pela reivindicação da importância da cor na experiência estética dos espaços arquitectónicos medievais, o projecto Monumental Polychromy: revealing medieval colours at Batalha, financiado pelo Instituto de História da Arte (FCSH-UNL) e pela Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, nasceu do desejo de abrir um campo de estudo focado na aplicação da policromia na arquitectura e na tumulária medievais portuguesas, tomando como caso de estudo a Capela do Fundador, no Mosteiro de Santa Maria da Vitória, na Batalha, onde os vestígios são significativos e, até ao momento, inexplorados. Para tal, articulámos a investigação histórico-artística ao estudo material, com o objectivo de alcançar uma reconstituição que permita formular hipóteses acerca dos valores estéticos, simbólicos e sociais que possam ter estado associados à utilização da cor naquele contexto específico. Esta metodologia de trabalho interdisciplinar tem permitido revelar ...
Estudo Técnico e Analítico’ in Praça Universal de todo o orbe: Uma vista de lisboa em 161
This paper focuses on a collection of reliquary busts integrated in the reliquary sanctuary of Ma... more This paper focuses on a collection of reliquary busts integrated in the reliquary sanctuary of Madre de Deus Convent. It explores the ARCAer project which will address this set through its historical, stylistic and iconological study. It will include laboratory analysis of the materials and technologies associated with the production of the sculptures with the intend of establishing affinities and differences between the several objects, which may bring clarification about their origins, their ordering process and the conservation treatment of the set. It is intended to recover the works and relocate them in their original places, resuming an integrated discourse that was lost. Also, the project aims to reflect upon the human drive to preserve material memories, establishing parallels with our days
Color Research & Application
Additional file 2: Appendix S2. Performance and appearance of the reconstructed underdrawing.
Additional file 1: Appendix S1. Materials and suppliers.
Heritage, 2022
In recent decades, many works have been devoted to the study of materials and painting techniques... more In recent decades, many works have been devoted to the study of materials and painting techniques used to produce illuminated manuscripts. If the analyses were once largely invasive, the approach has become increasingly more in situ and non-invasive over the years. This work presents the results of the analysis of the Portuguese Charter of Évora, an illuminated manuscript that dates back to 1501, combining an elemental mapping technique (MA-XRF) with the non-invasive imaging techniques of infrared reflectography and digital microscopy. Remarkably, this approach allowed us to obtain unexpected results regarding the chronology of production of the illumination of the view of the City of Évora and of the Charter of Évora itself, posing new questions for art history on the political, social and artistic context of the early 16th century City of Évora.
This paper unveils for the first time the technical and material features of the mural painting e... more This paper unveils for the first time the technical and material features of the mural painting entitled Pentecost’s, executed by the Portuguese artist Julio Resende in 1955. The painting depicting twelve Apostles covers the altarpiece of a small church in the countryside of Évora (southern Portugal) and it was rediscovered in 2013 by art historians. The research was carried out with both non-invasive and micro-destructive techniques. In situ examination included technical photography in visible (Vis/Vis-RAK) and in infrared (NIR) light range, ultraviolet induced visible fluorescence (UVF), portable optical microscopy, visible spectrophotometry and handheld energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (hXRF). Further analysis on paint layers micro-samples were undertaken by dark field optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDS) and micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (μ-FTIR). According to the acqui...
Heritage, 2021
A diachronic, multi-analytical approach combining EDXRF, µFTIR, µRaman, SEM-EDS, and Py-GC/MS has... more A diachronic, multi-analytical approach combining EDXRF, µFTIR, µRaman, SEM-EDS, and Py-GC/MS has been adopted with the aim to study for the first time the painting materials used to decorate Egyptian funerary masks and sarcophagi ranging from the Late Period to the Roman Period and stored in the Archaeological National Museum (MNA) and the Carmo Archaeological Museum (MAC) of Lisbon and the Natural History Museum of the University in Oporto (MNH-FCUP). Results indicate that yellow and red ochres, realgar, cinnabar, Egyptian blue, and Egyptian green were used as pigments while chalk served as the preparatory layer. Over the 1000-year timeline of the studied artifacts, the palette remained remarkably consistent with previous findings as exemplified by cinnabar being used for red pigments in samples only dated after the Ptolemaic period. The presence of Sn in Egyptian blue and Egyptian green pigments used in one sample suggests the use of recycled bronze scraps during pigment producti...
Conservar Património, 2020
Goa Cathedral former altarpiece, attributed to Garcia Fernandes and made around 1538, is one of t... more Goa Cathedral former altarpiece, attributed to Garcia Fernandes and made around 1538, is one of the oldest western pictorial works in India. It is a work of great importance in the establishment of the conquest of Goa by the Portuguese but also for understanding the influence of Portuguese painting overseas. Goa Cathedral former altarpiece is revealed as a crucial study source of Garcia Fernandes' creative process. There is evidence in the vigorous underdrawing of these paintings, of the existence of different types of drawing, as well as abandoned iconographic themes, or formal alterations of compositions. The iconographic and stylistic study evidences north and south-European influences in the choice and representation of the themes around the Martírio de Santa Catarina. In the present study, this work is compared in the making of the underdrawing with other works attributed to Garcia Fernandes.
Journal of Cultural Heritage, 2019
Colourless glass particles were identified for the first time in Portuguese paintings in two alta... more Colourless glass particles were identified for the first time in Portuguese paintings in two altarpieces attributed to the painter Francisco João, active between 1558 and 1595. They were found in red glazes with conservation problems. The glass was analysed by SEM-EDX and the binder by-FTIR. Portuguese 17th century painting treatises, which record earlier practices, were examined providing additional information. The glass particles had a vegetable silica-soda-lime composition, different in the two altarpieces, and a medium to very high alumina content. Although the provenance of the glass could not be determined, the use of local glass is suggested, as archaeological glass of the same period and similar composition has been found in southern Europe, notably Portugal. Furthermore, the glass from one of the altarpieces closely matches the composition of glass found in a painting by the Spaniard Luis de Morales. As a result, it is possible that the painter deliberately added a local glass to his red lakes, as advised in the two Portuguese painting treatises of this period. The exclusive presence of glass in the uppermost medium-rich glazes suggests that it was mainly used for its transparency and assumed siccative role. Although the siccative properties of glass have not been proved, by lowering the oil concentration in the paint, the addition of glass might have indirectly assisted the drying of the glazes. The glass particles were subject to a severe leaching of the alkali, a degradation that might explain the disruption of the glaze layers in these paintings.
Heritage, 2019
The painting collection of Santa Casa da Misericórdia da Lourinhã is amongst Portugal’s most nota... more The painting collection of Santa Casa da Misericórdia da Lourinhã is amongst Portugal’s most notable and scarcely best-known cultural heritage. The artistic interest of this pictorial group, besides the advanced state of degradation of a number of the paintings, together with the ruined circumstances of the building accommodating the collection, today in reconstruction, were the key reasons for this study. Thermo-hygrometric measurements were carried out. A multianalytical methodology incorporating micro-X-ray diffraction (µ-XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (EDXRF), scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM–EDS), micro-Raman spectroscopy (µ-Raman), micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (µ-FTIR) has been followed for the study. These analyses were complemented by infrared photography (IRP) and reflectography (IRR), allowing the study of the underdrawing technique. The results of this study were compared with previous ones of the p...
Journal of Molecular Structure, 2019
In this work we address the study of three groups painted by Josefa d' Óbidos (1630-1684) and by ... more In this work we address the study of three groups painted by Josefa d' Óbidos (1630-1684) and by her father Baltazar Gomes Figueira (1604-1674). These painters were the most important pair working in the 17 th century in Portugal with a Proto-Baroque style and the materials and techniques used by their workshop are almost unknown. Analytical procedures employed to characterize the materials and painting techniques involve molecular spectroscopy with μ-Confocal Raman (μ-Raman) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (μ-FTIR) in combination with other complementary methods such as X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy (XRF), μ-X-ray diffraction (μ-XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). Results are compared with the instructions of the most significant coeval Iberian painting treatises, with influence on Óbidos workshop. Conclusions of this study bring the first insight on the materials used, technical procedures and evolution from panel to canvas of Óbidos painting workshop, particularly highlighting the work of Josefa d' Óbidos, the greatest female Portuguese painter of all times.
Micron, 2016
This paper focusses on the study of the underdrawings of 16th century easel paintings attributed ... more This paper focusses on the study of the underdrawings of 16th century easel paintings attributed to the workshop of the Portuguese-Flemish Master Frei Carlos. This investigation encompasses multidisciplinary research that relates the results of surface exams (infrared reflectography, standard light photography and infrared photography) with analytical investigations. The surface analysis of Frei Carlos' underdrawings by infrared reflectography has shown heterogeneous work, revealing two different situations: (1) an abundant and expressive underdrawing, revealing a Flemish influence and (2) a simple and outlined underdrawing. This preliminary research raised an important question related to this Portuguese-Flemish workshop and to the analytical approach: Is the underdrawing's heterogeneity, as observed in the reflectograms, related to different artists or is this rather an effect that is produced due to the use of different materials in the underdrawing's execution? Consequently, if different materials were used, how can we have access to the hidden underdrawings? In order to understand the reasons for this dissemblance, chemical analysis of micro-samples collected in underdrawing areas and representing both situations were carried out by optical microscopy, micro Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (-FTIR), scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDX) and micro-Raman spectroscopy (-Raman). Taking into account the different possibilities and practical and theoretical limitations of surface and punctual examinations in the study of easel painting underdrawings, the methodology of research was adjusted, sometimes resulting in a re-analysis of experimental results. This research shows the importance of combining multispectral surface exams and chemical analysis in the understanding of the artistic creative processes of 16th century easel paintings.
De acordo com as evidências históricas e arqueológicas, a Cidade Romana de Ammaia (Marvão, Portug... more De acordo com as evidências históricas e arqueológicas, a Cidade Romana de Ammaia (Marvão, Portugal) terá sido fundada no século I d.C., atingindo o seu auge nos séculos I-II d.C., como importante centro urbano da Lusitânia [1]. Progressivamente, terá sido abandonada até ao século IX, não sendo conhecida até ao momento ocupação posterior. Nos 15 anos de escavações, foram postas a descoberto diversas estruturas arqueológicas da Porta Sul, a praça de entrada na cidade, a área do Forum, as termas, e sob o actual Museu, uma zona habitacional. A área das ruínas encontra-se actualmente sob protecção da Fundação Cidade de Ammaia e a orientação científica da Universidade de Évora. Para a presente investigação salientam-se as argamassas, materiais de construção cuja preparação depende directamente da quantidade e qualidade da matéria-prima disponível. As argamassas são potencialmente reveladoras do conhecimento das tecnologias de construção/produção artística de uma sociedade, da sua relação...
Web of Knowledge | A Look into the Past, Embracing the Future, 2019
This paper focuses on a collection of reliquary busts integrated in the reliquary sanctuary of Ma... more This paper focuses on a collection of reliquary busts integrated in the reliquary sanctuary of Madre de Deus Convent. It explores the ARCAer project which will address this set through its historical, stylistic and iconological study. It will include laboratory analysis of the materials and technologies associated with the production of the sculptures with the intend of establishing affinities and differences between the several objects, which may bring clarification about their origins, their ordering process and the conservation treatment of the set. It is intended to recover the works and relocate them in their original places, resuming an integrated discourse that was lost. Also, the project aims to reflect upon the human drive to preserve material memories, establishing parallels with our days.
“As Conferências do Museu” consiste no projeto que passa a integrar o plano anual de atividades d... more “As Conferências do Museu” consiste no projeto que passa a integrar o plano anual de atividades do Museu de Arte Sacra do Funchal (MASF) e que decorrerá, de ora em diante, no mês de março de cada ano. Procura-se, sobre o fundo histórico-cultural de referência e a partir da matriz temática e artística do museu, promover um encontro anual de debate e partilha de conhecimentos, ao nível da investigação científica desenvolvida em torno da Arte e da Museologia, podendo, igualmente, tocar alguns temas que se cruzam, direta ou indiretamente, com a herança artística e patrimonial que fazem parte da Cultura da Região Autónoma da Madeira.
A primeira edição, 2017, realiza-se nos dias 16 e 17 de março, e tem como tema A Pintura Flamenga dos séculos XV e XVI – Arte e Ciência, procurando retomar o debate em torno da mais emblemática e importante coleção de arte do MASF – a pintura flamenga —, à luz das investigações atuais, assentes na transdisciplinaridade das “Ciências da Arte”.
O encontro, reúne assim, um conjunto de investigadores regionais, nacionais e internacionais, com obra produzida ao nível da investigação nas áreas de História, História da Arte, Ciências da Arte, Química, Arte e Património e Conservação e Restauro, sobre pintura flamenga.
“As Conferências do Museu” consiste no projeto que passa a integrar o plano anual de atividades d... more “As Conferências do Museu” consiste no projeto que passa a integrar o plano anual de atividades do Museu de Arte Sacra do Funchal (MASF) e que decorrerá, de ora em diante, no mês de março de cada ano. Procura-se, sobre o fundo histórico-cultural de referência e a partir da matriz temática e artística do museu, promover um encontro anual de debate e partilha de conhecimentos, ao nível da investigação científica desenvolvida em torno da Arte e da Museologia, podendo, igualmente, tocar alguns temas que se cruzam, direta ou indiretamente, com a herança artística e patrimonial que fazem parte da Cultura da Região Autónoma da Madeira.
A primeira edição, 2017, realiza-se nos dias 16 e 17 de março, e tem como tema A Pintura Flamenga dos séculos XV e XVI – Arte e Ciência, procurando retomar o debate em torno da mais emblemática e importante coleção de arte do MASF – a pintura flamenga —, à luz das investigações atuais, assentes na transdisciplinaridade das “Ciências da Arte”.
O encontro, reúne assim, um conjunto de investigadores regionais, nacionais e internacionais, com obra produzida ao nível da investigação nas áreas de História, História da Arte, Ciências da Arte, Química, Arte e Património e Conservação e Restauro, sobre pintura flamenga.
Cadernos Conhecer Conservar Valorizar, 2017
SEBASTIAN, Luís (direção) - Quo Vadis. In Cadernos Conhecer Conservar Valorizar. Lamego: Direção ... more SEBASTIAN, Luís (direção) - Quo Vadis. In Cadernos Conhecer Conservar Valorizar. Lamego: Direção Regional de Cultura do Norte/Museu de Lamego. n.º 2. 2017.