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Author Dooley, K.A.; Gifford, E.M.; van Loon, A.; Noble, P.; Zeibel, J.G.; Conover, D.M.; Alfeld, M.; van der Snickt, G.; Legrand, S.; Janssens, K.; Dik, J.; Delaney, J.K.
Title Separating two painting campaigns in Saul and David, attributed to Rembrandt, using macroscale reflectance and XRF imaging spectroscopies and microscale paint analysis Type A1 Journal article
Year 2018 Publication Heritage science Abbreviated Journal
Volume 6 Issue 6 Pages 46
Keywords A1 Journal article; Art; AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation)
Abstract Late paintings of Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669) offer intriguing problems for both art historians and conservation scientists. In the research presented here, the key question addressed is whether observed stylistic differences in paint handling can be correlated with material differences. In Saul and David, in the collection of the Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis in The Hague, NL, the stylistic differences between the loose brushwork of Saul's cloak and the more detailed depiction of his turban and the figure of David have been associated with at least two painting stages since the late 1960s, but the attribution of each stage has been debated in the art historical literature. Stylistic evaluation of the paint handling in the two stages, based on magnified surface examination, is further described here. One of the research goals was to determine whether the stylistic differences could be further differentiated with macroscale and microscale methods of material analysis. To address this, selected areas of the painting having pronounced stylistic differences were investigated with two macroscopic chemical imaging methods, X-ray fluorescence and reflectance imaging spectroscopies. The pigments used were identified and their spatial distribution was mapped. The mapping results show that the passages rendered in more detail and associated stylistically with the first painting stage, such as the orange-red color of David's garment or the Greek key design in Saul's turban, were painted with predominately red ochre mixed with vermilion. The regions of loose, bold brushwork, such as the orange-red slashing strokes in the interior of Saul's cloak, associated with the second painting stage, were painted with predominately red ochre without vermilion. These macroscale imaging results were confirmed and extended with scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) analysis of three cross-sections taken from regions of stylistic differences associated with the two painting stages, including one sample each from the right and left sleeve of David, and one from the interior of Saul's cloak. SEM-EDX also identified a trace component, barium sulfate, associated with the red ochre of the second stage revisions. Combining mapping information from two spectroscopic imaging methods with localized information from microscopic samples has clearly shown that the stylistic differences observed in the paint handling are affiliated with differences in the chemical composition of the paints.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000441205600001 Publication Date 2018-08-02
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (up) 2050-7445 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor Times cited 3 Open Access
Notes ; The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support through the NWO Science4Arts program (ReVisRembrandt Project 2012-2018) and the NSF SCI-ART program (Award 1041827). JKD acknowledges support from the Andrew W. Mellon and the Samuel H. Kress Foundations. SL is grateful for a doctoral scholarship from the Research Council of the University of Antwerp. GvdS and KJ acknowledge support from the Fund Baillet Latour. ; Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:153119 Serial 5829
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Author van Loon, A.; Noble, P.; de Man, D.; Alfeld, M.; Callewaert, T.; van der Snickt, G.; Janssens, K.; Dik, J.
Title The role of smalt in complex pigment mixtures in Rembrandt'sHomer1663: combining MA-XRF imaging, microanalysis, paint reconstructions and OCT Type A1 Journal article
Year 2020 Publication Heritage science Abbreviated Journal
Volume 8 Issue 1 Pages 90-19
Keywords A1 Journal article; Art; AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation); Antwerp Cultural Heritage Sciences (ARCHES)
Abstract As part of the NWO Science4ArtsREVISRembrandtproject (2012-2018), novel chemical imaging techniques were developed and applied to the study of Rembrandt's late experimental painting technique (1651-1669). One of the unique features in his late paintings is his abundant use of smalt: a blue cobalt glass pigment that he often combined with organic lake pigments, earth pigments and blacks. Since most of these smalt-containing paints have discolored over time, we wanted to find out more about how these paintings may have originally looked, and what the role of smalt was in his paint. This paper reports on the use of smalt in complex pigment mixtures in Rembrandt'sHomer(1663), Mauritshuis, The Hague. Macroscopic X-ray fluorescence imaging (MA-XRF) assisted by computational analysis, in combination with SEM-EDX analysis of paint cross-sections, provides new information about the distribution and composition of the smalt paints in the painting. Paint reconstructions were carried out to investigate the effect of different percentages of smalt on the overall color, the drying properties, translucency and texture of the paint. Results show that the influence of (the originally blue) smalt on the intended color of the paint of theHomeris minimal. However, in mixtures with high percentages of smalt, or when combined with more transparent pigments, it was concluded that the smalt did produce a cooler and darker paint. It was also found that the admixture of opaque pigments reduced the translucent character of the smalt. The drying tests show that the paints with (cobalt-containing) smalt dried five times faster compared to those with glass (without cobalt). Most significantly, the texture of the paint was strongly influenced by adding smalt, creating a more irregular surface topography with clearly pronounced brushstrokes. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) was used as an additional tool to reveal differences in translucency and texture between the different paint reconstructions. In conclusion, this study confirmed earlier assumptions that Rembrandt used substantial amounts of smalt in his late paintings, not for its blue color, but to give volume and texture to his paints, to deepen their colors and to make them dry faster.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000565893700001 Publication Date 2020-09-04
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (up) 2050-7445 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 2.5 Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 2.5; 2020 IF: NA
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:171995 Serial 8659
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Author Janssens, K.; van der Snickt, G.; Vanmeert, F.; Legrand, S.; Nuyts, G.; Alfeld, M.; Monico, L.; Anaf, W.; de Nolf, W.; Vermeulen, M.; Verbeeck, J.; De Wael, K.
Title Non-invasive and non-destructive examination of artistic pigments, paints, and paintings by means of X-Ray methods Type A1 Journal article
Year 2016 Publication Topics in Current Chemistry Abbreviated Journal Topics Curr Chem
Volume 374 Issue 374 Pages 81
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation)
Abstract Recent studies are concisely reviewed, in which X-ray beams of (sub)micrometre to millimetre dimensions have been used for non-destructive analysis and characterization of pigments, minute paint samples, and/or entire paintings from the seventeenth to the early twentieth century painters. The overview presented encompasses the use of laboratory and synchrotron radiation-based instrumentation and deals with the use of several variants of X-ray fluorescence (XRF) as a method of elemental analysis and imaging, as well as with the combined use of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). Microscopic XRF is a variant of the method that is well suited to visualize the elemental distribution of key elements, mostly metals, present in paint multi-layers, on the length scale from 1 to 100 μm inside micro-samples taken from paintings. In the context of the characterization of artists pigments subjected to natural degradation, the use of methods limited to elemental analysis or imaging usually is not sufficient to elucidate the chemical transformations that have taken place. However, at synchrotron facilities, combinations of μ-XRF with related methods such as μ-XAS and μ-XRD have proven themselves to be very suitable for such studies. Their use is often combined with microscopic Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy and/or Raman microscopy since these methods deliver complementary information of high molecular specificity at more or less the same length scale as the X-ray microprobe techniques. Since microscopic investigation of a relatively limited number of minute paint samples, taken from a given work of art, may not yield representative information about the entire artefact, several methods for macroscopic, non-invasive imaging have recently been developed. Those based on XRF scanning and full-field hyperspectral imaging appear very promising; some recent published results are discussed.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Springer international publishing ag Place of Publication Cham Editor
Language Wos 000391178900006 Publication Date 2016-11-21
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (up) 2365-0869;2364-8961; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.033 Times cited 50 Open Access
Notes ; ; Approved Most recent IF: 4.033
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:139930UA @ admin @ c:irua:139930 Serial 4443
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Author Alfeld, M.; Janssens, K.; Sasov, A.; Liu, X.; Kostenko, A.; Rickers-Appel, K.; Falkenberg, G.
Title The use of full-field XRF for simultaneous elemental mapping Type P1 Proceeding
Year 2010 Publication Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages 111-118
Keywords P1 Proceeding; AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation)
Abstract The characteristics of a Full-Field X-ray Fluorescence (FF-XRF) set-up for element-specific imaging, installed at the HASYLAB synchrotron radiation source, were determined. A lateral resolution of 10 μm and limits of detection in the percentage range were found. Further potential developments in CCDs available for FF-XRF are discussed and the use of polycapillary lenses as image transfer optics is illustrated in some explorative experiments.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000278534600020 Publication Date 2010-04-16
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (up) 978-0-7354-0764-0 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor Times cited 8 Open Access
Notes ; This research was supported by the Interuniversity Attraction Poles Programme – Belgian Science Policy (IUAP VI/16) and by GOA XANES meets EELS (Research Fund University of Antwerp, Belgium). M. Alfeld is supported by the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO). 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. ; Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:82179 Serial 5891
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