Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-g8jcs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T09:44:44.609Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

X-ray powder microdiffraction for routine analysis of paintings

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 March 2012

Veronika Simova*
Affiliation:
Academic Laboratory of Materials Analysis of Paintings (ALMA), Institute of Inorganic Chemistry AS CR, 250 68 Rez, Czech Republic Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, U Akademie 4, 170 22 Prague 7, Czech Republic
P. Bezdicka
Affiliation:
Academic Laboratory of Materials Analysis of Paintings (ALMA), Institute of Inorganic Chemistry AS CR, 250 68 Rez, Czech Republic Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, U Akademie 4, 170 22 Prague 7, Czech Republic
J. Hradilova
Affiliation:
Academic Laboratory of Materials Analysis of Paintings (ALMA), Institute of Inorganic Chemistry AS CR, 250 68 Rez, Czech Republic Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, U Akademie 4, 170 22 Prague 7, Czech Republic
D. Hradil
Affiliation:
Academic Laboratory of Materials Analysis of Paintings (ALMA), Institute of Inorganic Chemistry AS CR, 250 68 Rez, Czech Republic Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, U Akademie 4, 170 22 Prague 7, Czech Republic
T. Grygar
Affiliation:
Academic Laboratory of Materials Analysis of Paintings (ALMA), Institute of Inorganic Chemistry AS CR, 250 68 Rez, Czech Republic Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, U Akademie 4, 170 22 Prague 7, Czech Republic
*
a)Electronic mail: [email protected]

Abstract

Laboratory powder X-ray microdiffraction with a focusing monocapillary and linear multichannel detector was applied to phase identification in fragments of painting layers of art works, canvas and wall paintings, and polychromes on wood. This method is useful in materials research of painting layers with complex stratigraphy, and it is indispensable in distinguishing inorganic pigments of different natural provenance and revealing degradation products. The advantage of X-ray microdiffraction is its nondestructive nature and no need of sample pretreatment. Samples after microdiffraction can hence be used for other analyses or archived. Another advantage is the possibility to work with samples smaller than 1 mm, which is particularly important in the analysis of artworks where the sample amount or size is a serious limit of using the laboratory techniques of materials research. The X-ray equipment used is more economical and more easily accessible than other microdiffraction techniques and is, hence, suitable for routine analytical work.

Type
Technical Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2005

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Benedetti, D., Valetti, S., Bontempi, E., Piccioli, C., and Depero, L. E. (2004). “Study of ancient mortars from the Roman villa of Pollio Felice in Sorrento (Naples),” Appl. Phys. AAPAMFC 79, 341345.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bruni, S., Cariati, F., Consolandi, L., Galli, A., Guglielmi, V., Ludwig, N., and Milazzo, M. (2002). “Field and laboratory spectroscopic methods for the identification of pigments in a northern Italian eleventh century fresco cycle,” Appl. Spectrosc.APSPA410.1366/000370202760171482 56, 827833.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cedola, A., Lagomarsino, S., Komlev, V., Rustichelli, F., Mastrogiacomo, M., Cancedda, R., Milita, S., and Burghammer, M. (2004). “High spatial resolution X-ray microdiffraction applied to biomaterial studies and archeometry,” Spectrochim. Acta, Part BSAASBH 59, 15571564.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Corbeil, M. C., Charland, J. P., and Moffatt, E. A. (2002). “The characterization of cobalt violet pigments,” Stud. Conserv. 47, 237249.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Creagh, D. C. and Otieno-Alego, V. (2004). “The use of radiation for the study of material of cultural heritage significance,” Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. BNIMBEU 213, 670-676.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Daniilia, S., Bikiaris, D., Burgio, L., Gavala, P., Clark, R. J. H., and Chryssoulakis, Y. (2002). “An extensive non-destructive and micro-spectroscopic study of two post-Byzantine overpainted icons of the 16th century,” J. Raman Spectrosc.JRSPAF 33, 807814.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Edwards, H. G. M., Brooke, C. J., and Tait, J. K. F. (1997). “Fourier transform Raman spectroscopic study of pigments from English mediaeval wall paintings,” J. Raman Spectrosc.JRSPAF 28, 9598.3.0.CO;2-0>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eiland, M. L. and Williams, Q. (2001). “Investigation of Islamic ceramics from Tell Tuneinir using X-ray diffraction,” Geoarcheology 16, 875903.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grygar, T., Hradilova, J., Hradil, D., Bezdicka, P., and Bakardjieva, S. (2003). “Analysis of earthy pigments in grounds of Baroque paintings,” Anal. Bioanal. Chem.ABCNBP 375, 11541160.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hradil, D., Hradilova, J., and Hrebickova, B. (2001). “Clay minerals in pigments of medieval and Baroque paintings,” Geologica Carpathica 53, 123126.Google Scholar
Hradil, D., Grygar, T., Hradilova, J., and Bezdicka, P. (2003). “Clay and iron oxide pigments in the history of painting,” Appl. Clay Sci.ACLSER10.1016/0360-8352(92)90001-Z 22, 223236.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kuhn, H. (1993). “Lead-Tin Yellow,” in Artists’ Pigments, edited by Roy, A. (Oxford University Press, New York), Vol. 2, pp. 83112.Google Scholar
MacDonald, C. A., Owens, S. M., and Gibson, W. M. (1999). “Polycapillary X-ray optics for microdiffraction,” J. Appl. Crystallogr.JACGAR10.1107/S0021889898008826 32, 160167.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mantler, M., Schreiner, M., and Schweizer, F. (2000). “Museum: Art and Archaeology,” in Industrial Applications of X-Ray Diffraction, edited by Chung, F. H. and Smith, D. K. (Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York), pp. 621658.Google Scholar
Ortega, M., Ascencio, J. A., San-German, C. M., Fernandez, M. E., Lopez, L., and Jose-Yacaman, M. (2001). “Analysis of prehispanic pigments from ‘Templo Mayor’ of Mexico City,” J. Mater. Sci.JMTSAS 36, 751756.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pomies, M. P., Morin, G., and Vignaud, C. (1998). “XRD study of the goethite-hematite transformation: application to the identification of heated prehistoric pigments,” Eur. J. Solid State Inorg. Chem.EJSCE5 35, 925.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rampazzi, L., Cariati, F., Tanda, G., and Colombini, M. P. (2002). “Characterisation of wall painting in the Sos Furrighesos necropolis (Anela, Italy),” J. Cultural HeritageZZZZZZ10.1046/j.1462-2920.2001.00181.x 3, 237240.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ramos, S. S., Reig, F. B., Adelantado, J. V. G., Marco, D. J. Y., and Carbo, A. D. (2002). “Application of XRF, XRD, thermal analysis, and voltammetric techniques to the study of ancient ceramics,” Anal. Bioanal. Chem.ABCNBP 373, 893900.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Richter, M., Hahn, O., and Fuchs, R. (2001). “Purple fluorite: A little known artists’ pigment and its use in Late Gothic and Early Renaissance painting in Northern Europe,” Stud. Conserv. 46, 113.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Salvado, N., Pradell, T., Pantos, E., Papiz, M. Z., Molera, J., Seco, M., and Vendrell-Saz, M. (2002). “Identification of copper-based green pigments in Jaume Huguet’s Gothic altarpieces by Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy and synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction,” J. Synchrotron Radiat.JSYRES 9, 215222.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wang, P. C., Cargill, G. S., Noyan, I. C., and Hu, C. K. (1998). “Electromigration-induced stress in aluminum conductor lines measured by X-ray microdiffraction,” Appl. Phys. Lett.APPLAB10.1063/1.120604 72, 12961298.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
X’Pert PRO User’s Guide (2002). PANalytical, Almelo, Netherlands, 3rd ed.Google Scholar