| Record |
| Author |
Alfeld, M.; de Nolf, W.; Cagno, S.; Janssens, K.; et al. |
| Title |
Revealing hidden paint layers in oil paintings by means of scanning macro-XRF : a mock-up study based on Rembrandt's “An old man in military costume” |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
Year  |
2013 |
Publication |
Journal of analytical atomic spectrometry |
Abbreviated Journal |
J Anal Atom Spectrom |
| Volume |
28 |
Issue |
1 |
Pages |
40-51 |
| Keywords |
A1 Journal article; AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation) |
| Abstract |
Over the past several decades the oeuvre of Rembrandt has been the subject of extensive art historical and scientific investigations. One of the most striking features to emerge is his frequent re-use of canvases and panels. The painting An Old Man in Military Costume (78.PB.246), in the collection of the J. Paul Getty Museum, is an example of such a re-used panel. Conventional imaging techniques revealed the presence of a second portrait under the surface portrait, but the details of this hidden portrait have not yet been revealed. Vermilion (HgS) has been identified to have been used nearly exclusively in the flesh tones of the lower painting, suggesting that element-specific XRF imaging might successfully image the hidden portrait. To test this hypothesis, a full-scale mock-up of the painting was created, including a “free impression” of the hidden portrait, reproducing as closely as possible the pigments and paint stratigraphy of the original painting. XRF imaging of the mock-up painting was conducted using three different XRF imaging systems: a mobile X-ray tube based system and two synchrotron-based setups (one equipped with multiple SDDs and one equipped with a Maia detector). The sensitivity, limits of detection and imaging capabilities of each system under the chosen experimental conditions are evaluated and compared. The results indicate that an investigation of the original painting by this method would have an excellent chance of success. |
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| Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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| Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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| Language |
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Wos |
000314903400003 |
Publication Date |
2012-11-22 |
| Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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| Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
0267-9477 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
| Impact Factor |
3.379 |
Times cited |
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Open Access |
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| Notes |
; This research was supported by the Interuniversity Attraction Poles Programme – Belgian Science Policy (IUAP VI/16). The text also presents results of GOA “XANES meets ELNES” (Research Fund University of Antwerp, Belgium) and from FWO (Brussels, Belgium) projects no. G.0704.08 and G.01769.09. Further, the research leading to these results has received funding from the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement no 226716. M. Alfeld receives a Ph.D. fellowship of the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO). The authors gratefully acknowledge Yvonne Szafran and the staff of the Paintings Conservation Department of the J. Paul Getty Museum for making available their infrared reflectography (IRR) and X-radiographic images of the painting, and also the neutron activation analysis (NAA) images acquired in 1996 at NIST by Dr Henry Prask in collaboration with Mark Leonard, former head of the J. Paul Getty Museum Paintings Conservation Department. We are also grateful to Peter Reischig, a graduate intern at the Getty Conservation Institute and a Ph.D. candidate at Delft University of Technology for his assistance. ; |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 3.379; 2013 IF: 3.396 |
| Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:107704 |
Serial |
5818 |
| Permanent link to this record |
