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Conservation Tools, Protocols and Treatments on Painted Surfaces, Metal Leaves and Finishes in Cultural Heritage

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A special issue of Coatings (ISSN 2079-6412).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2021) | Viewed by 35579

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Dr. Nervo Marco

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Fondazione Centro per la Conservazione ed il Restauro dei Beni Culturali “La Venaria Reale”, 10078 Venaria Reale TO, Italy
Interests: non-invasive analyses (radiographies and CT scans); environmental monitoring; software development

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Conservation of painted surfaces, metal leaves, and finishes requires a deep knowledge of both the materials themselves and the supports and the interaction phenomena occurring among them. Superficial treatments, operations, and materials adopted during the conservation intervention can modify the complex system of existing interactions. Therefore, it is fundamental to predict possible induced changes of the chemical-physical properties of the systems.

This Special Issue aims at contributing to the definition of the state-of-the-art in the approach to conservation problems of painted surfaces, metal leaves, and finishes.

In particular, the topic of interest includes but is not limited to:

Methodological approaches for the conservation treatments of the painted surfaces, metal leaves, and finishes;
Analytical tools and protocols for the validation of the treatment efficacy and recognizability;
Analytical tools for the characterization of surface materials and their decay processes;
New materials and treatments.

Dr. Nervo Marco
Guest Editor

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Keywords

conservation treatments
chemical–physical properties
painted surfaces
metal leaves
finishes
validation of treatments
decay processes
analytical protocols

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research

1 pages, 137 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Conservation Tools, Protocols, and Treatments on Painted Surfaces, Metal Leaves, and Finishes in Cultural Heritage

by Marco Nervo

Coatings 2022, 12(2), 164; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings12020164 - 27 Jan 2022

Viewed by 1652

Abstract

The conservation of painted surfaces, metal leaves, and finishes requires a deep knowledge of both the materials themselves and the supports, in addition to the interaction phenomena occurring among them [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conservation Tools, Protocols and Treatments on Painted Surfaces, Metal Leaves and Finishes in Cultural Heritage)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

21 pages, 7027 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Ancient Egyptian Multilayered Polychrome Wooden Sculpture Belonging to the Museo Egizio of Torino: Characterization of Painting Materials and Design of Cleaning Processes by Means of Highly Retentive Hydrogels

by Nicole Manfredda, Paola Buscaglia, Paolo Gallo, Matilde Borla, Sara Aicardi, Giovanna Poggi, Piero Baglioni, Marco Nervo, Dominique Scalarone, Alessandro Borghi, Alessandro Re, Laura Guidorzi and Alessandro Lo Giudice

Coatings 2021, 11(11), 1335; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings11111335 - 30 Oct 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4275

Abstract

This contribution focuses on the conservation of an Egyptian wooden sculpture (Inventory Number Cat. 745) belonging to the Museo Egizio of Torino in northwest Italy. A preliminary and interdisciplinary study of constituent painting materials and their layering is here provided. It was conducted by means of a multi-technique approach starting from non-invasive multispectral analysis on the whole object, and subsequently, on selected micro-samples. In particular, visible fluorescence induced by ultraviolet radiation (UVF), infrared reflectography (IRR) and visible--induced infrared luminescence were used on the whole object. The micro-samples were analysed by means of an optical microscope with visible and UV light sources, a scanning electron microscope (SEM) with an energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDX), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometer, pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometer (Py-GC/MS) and micro-particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE). The characterization of the painting materials allowed the detection of Egyptian blue and Egyptian green, and also confirmed the pertinence of the top brown layer to the original materials, which is a key point to design a suitable surface treatment. In fact, due to the water sensitiveness of the original materials, only few options were available to perform cleaning operations on this artwork. To setup the cleaning procedure, we performed several preliminary tests on mockups using dry cleaning materials, commonly used to treat reactive surfaces, and innovative highly water retentive hydrogels, which can potentially limit the mechanical action on the original surface while proving excellent cleaning results. Overall, this study has proved fundamental to increase our knowledge on ancient Egyptian artistic techniques and contribute to hypothesize the possible provenance of the artefact. It also demonstrated that polyvinyl alcohol-based retentive gels allow for the safe and efficient cleaning of extremely water sensitive painted surfaces, as those typical of ancient Egyptian artefacts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conservation Tools, Protocols and Treatments on Painted Surfaces, Metal Leaves and Finishes in Cultural Heritage)

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18 pages, 75569 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Life of a Painting as Traced by Technical Analysis: Original Materials and Posthumous Alterations in Édouard Manet’s Woman in Striped Dress

by Federica Pozzi, Silvia A. Centeno, Federico Caro, Gillian McMillan, Lena Stringari and Vivien Greene

Coatings 2021, 11(11), 1334; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings11111334 - 30 Oct 2021

Viewed by 2250

Abstract

Among the holdings of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, New York, is a large-scale portrait by Édouard Manet that remained apparently unfinished upon the artist’s death, in April 1883. This work, now known as Woman in Striped Dress, belongs to Manet’s late artistic production and dates from around 1877 to 1880. A collaborative endeavor entailing archival research and scientific analysis revealed that the composition had suffered dramatic alterations prior to its arrival at the museum in 1965 as an extended loan, likely carried out to “finish” the picture in order that it would be marketable and to increase its sale value. Among the main changes explored in this technical study are the reductions in the canvas size and subsequent varnishing campaigns. Furthermore, along with a detailed characterization of the original materials present in the ground and paint layers, this research contributed to the identification of posthumous retouchings, possibly executed concurrently with trimming the canvas along both sides and at the top edge. The investigation was instrumental in devising an appropriate treatment to remove the discolored varnish and select areas of retouching, which obscured significant details of the composition and Manet’s delicate brushwork. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conservation Tools, Protocols and Treatments on Painted Surfaces, Metal Leaves and Finishes in Cultural Heritage)

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17 pages, 90411 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Er:YAG Laser Cleaning of Painted Surfaces: Functional Considerations to Improve Efficacy and Reduce Side Effects

by Cong Wang, Yijian Cao, Fude Tie and Mara Camaiti

Coatings 2021, 11(11), 1315; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings11111315 - 28 Oct 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3641

Abstract

The restoration of paintings always involves the removal of darkened superficial layers, which are mainly due to dust deposition and aged varnishes. As cleaning is an irreversible and invasive treatment, physical methods (i.e., laser cleaning) instead of chemical ones are frequently suggested to reduce side effects on pictorial layers. Among the most employed laser systems, the free-running Er:YAG laser is considered very suitable for fine arts cleaning. This laser works at 2.94 μm, at which only –OH and –NH bonds in molecules are excited. This character can become a disadvantage when pigments with these functional groups are present. To understand the potential of the Er:YAG laser in such situations or in the presence of degradable pigments, the effectiveness of varnish removal from paintings prepared with egg yolk as the binder and cinnabar and lead white as the pigments were systematically investigated. Different cleaning conditions were used, and a hyperspectral sensor was innovatively used as a rapid, in situ and non-destructive technique to assess the effects of laser ablation, besides microscopic analysis. Though results obtained show all these pigments are sensitive to this laser radiation, satisfactory cleaning can be achieved without damaging the pictorial layer. The best cleaning conditions were 0.5 W of power (50 mJ and 10 Hz for energy and frequency), with 2-propanol as the wetting agent. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conservation Tools, Protocols and Treatments on Painted Surfaces, Metal Leaves and Finishes in Cultural Heritage)

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12 pages, 2854 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Identification of Colourants and Varnishes in a 14th Century Decorated Wood-Carved Door of the Dionysiou Monastery in Mount Athos

by Alexander Konstantas, Ioannis Karapanagiotis and Stamatis C. Boyatzis

Coatings 2021, 11(9), 1087; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings11091087 - 8 Sep 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1980

Abstract

A decorated and carved wooden door of the late Byzantine period (14th Century), which belongs to the Dionysiou Monastery in Mount Athos, Greece, constitutes an important relic of valuable technological information due to its construction technology and history. Seventeen (17) samples detached from the door are studied using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM-EDX), and micro-Raman and FTIR spectroscopy. The following materials are identified in the cross sections of the door samples using micro-Raman spectroscopy: orpiment, lead white, red lead, red ochre, cinnabar, carbon black, gypsum, anhydrite, and calcite, and an organic colourant of the indigoid family. SEM-EDX studies supported to the aforementioned Raman results. Interestingly, a combination of inorganic and organic colourants was detected. The main goals of this particular study were to: (a) reveal the colour palette and materials, (b) identify the type of varnish and its condition, and (c) contribute to future restoration processes and aid conservators in selecting compatible restoration materials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conservation Tools, Protocols and Treatments on Painted Surfaces, Metal Leaves and Finishes in Cultural Heritage)

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13 pages, 4379 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Compositional and Morphological Comparison among Three Coeval Violins Made by Giuseppe Guarneri “del Gesù” in 1734

by Giacomo Fiocco, Sebastian Gonzalez, Claudia Invernizzi, Tommaso Rovetta, Michela Albano, Piercarlo Dondi, Maurizio Licchelli, Fabio Antonacci and Marco Malagodi

Coatings 2021, 11(8), 884; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings11080884 - 23 Jul 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 5493

Abstract

In the present work, we had the opportunity to study the coating systems of three different coeval violins, namely “Spagnoletti”, “Stauffer”, and “Principe Doria”, made by Giuseppe Guarneri “del Gesù” in 1734. These three violins were non-invasively investigated by reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray fluorescence. These two techniques were combined for the first time with a 3D laser scanner. The analytical campaign enabled the characterization of the materials and their distribution within the stratigraphy, mainly composed of varnish and, when present, of a proteinaceous ground coat. Some restoration materials were also identified, suggesting the application of different maintenance treatments undertaken during their history. The preliminary information about morphological and geometrical differences between the three coeval violins were acquired through the 3D laser scanner in order to observe similarities and differences in the design features among the three violins. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conservation Tools, Protocols and Treatments on Painted Surfaces, Metal Leaves and Finishes in Cultural Heritage)

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18 pages, 34718 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Consolidation and Adhesion of Pictorial Layers on a Stone Substrate. The Study Case of the Virgin with the Child from Palazzo Madama, in Turin

by Anita Negri, Marco Nervo, Stefania Di Marcello and Daniele Castelli

Coatings 2021, 11(6), 624; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings11060624 - 23 May 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3921

Abstract

The study and the restoration of a polychrome limestone statue representing the Virgin with the Child, from Palazzo Madama in Turin (NW Italy) offered interesting conservation issue related to the polychromy on stone. To preserve the pictorial layers, it was necessary to re-establish the cohesion among the different polychrome layers (original and repainted) and the adhesion between polychrome film and the stone substrate. Particular attention was paid to the choice of intervention materials, selected through a preliminary survey of the scientific literature, and then verified by laboratory tests (tape test, colorimetric test, and permeability test). The most suitable product should to be able to penetrate porosity, to consolidate the layers, to make the pictorial film adhere with the stone surface, and to avoid changes in the colour and in the permeability. The material chosen also had to ensure compatibility with the cleaning method that could only take place after the consolidation of the pictorial layers due to the problematic state of preservation. A range of products, characterised by their small particle size and low viscosity, was tested, and a micro-acrylic resin was selected and successfully applied on the polychromy of the sculpture. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conservation Tools, Protocols and Treatments on Painted Surfaces, Metal Leaves and Finishes in Cultural Heritage)

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17 pages, 8482 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Characterization and Identification of Varnishes on Copper Alloys by Means of UV Imaging and FTIR

by Miriam Truffa Giachet, Julie Schröter and Laura Brambilla

Coatings 2021, 11(3), 298; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings11030298 - 5 Mar 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3451

Abstract

The application of varnishes on the surface of metal objects has been a very common practice since antiquity, both for protective and aesthetic purposes. One specific case concerns the use of tinted varnishes on copper alloys in order to mimic gilding. This practice, especially flourishing in the 19th century for scientific instruments, decorative objects, and liturgical items, results in large museum collections of varnished copper alloys that need to be preserved. One of the main challenges for conservators and restorers deals with the identification of the varnishes through non-invasive and affordable analytical techniques. We hereby present the experimental methodology developed in the framework of the LacCA and VERILOR projects at the Haute École ARC of Neuchâtel for the identification of gold varnishes on brass. After extensive documentary research and analytical campaigns on varnished museum objects, various historic shellac-based varnishes were created and applied by different methods on a range of brass substrates with different finishes. The samples were then characterized by UV imaging and infrared spectroscopy before and after artificial ageing. The comparative study of these two techniques was performed for different thicknesses of the same varnish and for different shellac grades in order to implement an identification methodology based on simple non-invasive examination and analytical tools, which are accessible to conservators. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conservation Tools, Protocols and Treatments on Painted Surfaces, Metal Leaves and Finishes in Cultural Heritage)

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11 pages, 2184 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Drying Oil and Natural Varnishes in Paintings: A Competition in the Metal Soap Formation

by Tommaso Poli, Oscar Chiantore, Eliano Diana and Anna Piccirillo

Coatings 2021, 11(2), 171; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings11020171 - 31 Jan 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2592

Abstract

Metal soaps formation is a well-known issue in oil paintings. Along the lifetime of the painting, carboxylic acids coming from drying oil (free fatty acids, acids from hydrolysis of triglycerides and from oxidation processes) can react with cations of some pigments (in particular, smalt, lead white and zinc white) forming the related carboxylic salts. As observed by many authors, the formation of these carboxylates, with the tendency to migrate and to aggregate, not only modifies the behavior and the aspect of the paint film but also complicates the cleaning approach. In previous works we have demonstrated that a similar pigment reactivity is possible even in presence of natural resins (such as colophony, dammar, mastic, etc) historically used as final varnishes on paintings. In this case, in the reactions the terpenic acids, among the main components of the resins, are involved. In this work, the carboxylates formation kinetics has been studied starting from two representative acids (palmitic and abietic) of painting oils and natural varnishes. Successively, the reactivity of the palmitic acid with the potassium abietate and of the abietic acid with the potassium palmitate has been verified. This investigation aims at clarifying in which way terpenic acids can be involved in the metal soaps reactivity confirming that also surface varnishes may play a significant role in the carboxylates formation and reactivity. It is important to keep in mind that a finishing varnish can be removed and reapplied many times during the lifetime of a painting, thus renewing the provision of reactive terpenic acids at the interface of the painted layers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conservation Tools, Protocols and Treatments on Painted Surfaces, Metal Leaves and Finishes in Cultural Heritage)

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22 pages, 9769 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Maya Blue Used in Wall Paintings in Mexican Colonial Convents of the XVI Century

by Luisa Straulino-Mainou, Teresa Pi-Puig, Becket Lailson-Tinoco, Karla Castro-Chong, María Fernanda Urbina-Lemus, Pablo Escalante-Gonzalbo, Sergey Sedov and Aban Flores-Morán

Coatings 2021, 11(1), 88; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings11010088 - 14 Jan 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3642

Abstract

Maya blue is a well-known pre-Hispanic pigment, composed of palygorskite or sepiolite and indigo blue, which was used by various Mesoamerican cultures for centuries. There has been limited research about its continued use during the Viceroyalty period; therefore, the sixteenth century is the perfect period through which to study the continuity of pre-Hispanic traditions. The fact that the indigenous people were active participants in the construction and decoration of convents makes their wall paintings a good sampling material. X-ray fluorescence (XRF), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were performed in samples of blue found in convents across Puebla, Tlaxcala and Morelos in order to identify whether the numerous hues of blue were achieved with Maya blue or with other pigments. We found no copper (Cu) or cobalt (Co) with the XRF, so several pigments, such as azurite, smalt or verdigris, were discarded. With SEM, we discovered that the micromorphology of certain blues was clearly needle-shaped, suggesting the presence of palygorskite or sepiolite. In addition, we found silicon (Si), magnesium (Mg) and aluminum (Al) by using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) in all blue samples, which also suggests the presence of these magnesium-rich clay minerals. With the XRD samples, we verified that the blues were produced with these two clay minerals, thus confirming that several wall paintings were manufactured with Maya blue. These findings confirm that this particular manmade pre-Hispanic pigment, Maya blue, was an important pigment prior to the Viceroyal period. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conservation Tools, Protocols and Treatments on Painted Surfaces, Metal Leaves and Finishes in Cultural Heritage)

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