EXPLORATORY ANALYTICAL STUDY OF A 20TH CENTURY PORTUGUESE MURAL PAINTING BY JULIO RESENDE (1917-2011 (original) (raw)
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This article describes the results of a multi-analytical research carried out on the mural paintings from Evora Cathedral, one of the oldest and most prominent monuments of Evora city. The paintings were a late 16th Century addition to the cathedral’s northern transept chapel and are attributed to the painter Jose de Escovar, whose painting workshop was remarkably active in the so-called golden age of mural paintings in southern Portugal. The aim of the study was to reconstruct the paintings’ life story through a materials science perspective by discerning the material characteristics of the original and overpaint campaigns. The analytical setup comprised technical photography (TP) in the visible and UV light, Vis-Spectrophotometry, optical microscopy (OM) complemented with scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDS), micro Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (mFT-IR) and pyrolysis–gas chromatography (Py-GC/MS) analyses of the collected samples. Results show that the original paint layers were executed with a combination of fresco and secco techniques, using a very simple chromatic palette composed of earth pigments, mercury sulphide, calcium carbonate and green copper based pigments. The paintings were heavily retouched and overpainted using earth pigments, smalt, Prussian blue, zinc white and lead white. Furthermore, the analyses of the cross-sections taken from the stuccoed frames revealed a first decorative campaign made with gold and silver alloy.
Colours 2015 (Bridging Science with Art) UÉvora, 2015
This paper describes a study carried out on late 16th century mural paintings from Évora Cathedral, one of the prominent monuments that has influenced the culture, history and urban fabric of Évora (Portugal). Arranged in five panels, these paintings were laid out to decorate the vault of the cathedral ́s northern chapel and are artistically attributed to the Portuguese artist José de Escovar, whose painting workshop has been remarkably active in Alentejo (the southern-central part of Portugal) at the time. As the mural paintings in question are yet to be systematically investigated to date, this study aims to reconstruct their life story through a materials science perspective by focusing on their execution techniques (stratigraphy, binders, etc.), pigment characterization and later alterations that they are likely to have undergone. The investigation was carried out through a multi analytical methodology that consisted of both in- situ and laboratory work. The in-situ and non-invasive examination was carried out through a setup consisting of technical photography in visible (Vis), racking (Vis-RAK), Infrared (IR), Ultraviolet reflectance and visible induced fluorescence (UVR and UVF) ; visible spectrophotometry and portable X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF). Further detailed investigation of collected samples was undertaken in the laboratory with an analytical setup comprising dark field optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM- EDS), micro X-ray diffraction (μ-XRD) and micro Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (μ-FT-IR). The preliminary results point out that, the paintings were mainly executed with a fresco technique, using a chromatic palette consisting of red and yellow ochre’s, cinnabar and copper green pigments. Finger nails to control the right moment to start painting are clearly seen by racking light. The analytical setup, in situ and in vitro, also allowed to identify several later mimetic retouches with earth pigments and extensive repaints in the sky backgrounds with white zinc, white lead and Prussian blue. Another discovery was in the lime stuccos that frame the paintings. Analysis of cross sections revealed that the first decorative campaign of these stuccos was made with a gold and silver allow which have been later covered with layers of lead white, white zinc and lead-chrome yellow.
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Analytica Chimica Acta, 2001
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