Rediscovering the Painting Technique of the 15th Century Panel Painting Depicting the Coronation of the Virgin by Michele di Matteo
The study concerned a diagnostic spectroscopic campaign carried out on the panel painting depicting the <i>Coronation of the Virgin</i> (first half of the 15th century) by the late-Gothic Italian painter Michele di Matteo. The main aims were the identification of the original painting ma...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-01-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2571-9408/7/1/16 |
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| author | Chiara Delledonne Michela Albano Tommaso Rovetta Gianmarco Borghi Mario Gentile Anna Denia Marvelli Piero Mezzabotta Lucia Riga Elisa Salvini Marta Trucco Francesca Volpi Giacomo Fiocco |
| author_facet | Chiara Delledonne Michela Albano Tommaso Rovetta Gianmarco Borghi Mario Gentile Anna Denia Marvelli Piero Mezzabotta Lucia Riga Elisa Salvini Marta Trucco Francesca Volpi Giacomo Fiocco |
| author_sort | Chiara Delledonne |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The study concerned a diagnostic spectroscopic campaign carried out on the panel painting depicting the <i>Coronation of the Virgin</i> (first half of the 15th century) by the late-Gothic Italian painter Michele di Matteo. The main aims were the identification of the original painting materials and the characterization of the painter’s artistic technique. A combined approach based on non- and micro-invasive techniques was employed. Visible and ultraviolet-induced fluorescence photography was used to select the areas of interest for spectroscopic analyses; X-ray radiography assessed the state of conservation of the support, while X-ray fluorescence and external reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopies allowed the chemical identification of pigments, binders, and varnishes. Attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy, optical microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy were used to visualize and characterize the materials in the pictorial layers. The results highlighted the presence of pigments, possibly applied with an egg binder, consistent with the period of the production of the painting, as well as modern pigments used during subsequent restorations: an <i>imprimitura</i> with lead white and a gypsum-based ground layer. Concerning the gilding, the <i>guazzo</i> technique was confirmed by identifying a red <i>bolo</i> substrate and gold leaf. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T10:49:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-279134c20d7a4caa9f7b97121a39ceca |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2571-9408 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T10:49:01Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Heritage |
| spelling | doaj.art-279134c20d7a4caa9f7b97121a39ceca2024-01-26T16:49:25ZengMDPI AGHeritage2571-94082024-01-017132433710.3390/heritage7010016Rediscovering the Painting Technique of the 15th Century Panel Painting Depicting the Coronation of the Virgin by Michele di MatteoChiara Delledonne0Michela Albano1Tommaso Rovetta2Gianmarco Borghi3Mario Gentile4Anna Denia Marvelli5Piero Mezzabotta6Lucia Riga7Elisa Salvini8Marta Trucco9Francesca Volpi10Giacomo Fiocco11Department of Physics, University of Pavia, Via Agostino Bassi 6, 27100 Pavia, ItalyArvedi Laboratory of Non-Invasive Diagnostics, CISRiC, University of Pavia, Via Bell’Aspa 3, 26100 Cremona, ItalyArvedi Laboratory of Non-Invasive Diagnostics, CISRiC, University of Pavia, Via Bell’Aspa 3, 26100 Cremona, ItalyLaboratory of Applied Diagnostics for Cultural Heritage, Cr.Forma Restoration School, C.so Matteotti 17, 26100 Cremona, ItalyLaboratory of Applied Diagnostics for Cultural Heritage, Cr.Forma Restoration School, C.so Matteotti 17, 26100 Cremona, ItalyLaboratory of Applied Diagnostics for Cultural Heritage, Cr.Forma Restoration School, C.so Matteotti 17, 26100 Cremona, ItalyLaboratory of Applied Diagnostics for Cultural Heritage, Cr.Forma Restoration School, C.so Matteotti 17, 26100 Cremona, ItalyLaboratory of Applied Diagnostics for Cultural Heritage, Cr.Forma Restoration School, C.so Matteotti 17, 26100 Cremona, ItalyLaboratory of Applied Diagnostics for Cultural Heritage, Cr.Forma Restoration School, C.so Matteotti 17, 26100 Cremona, ItalyLaboratory of Applied Diagnostics for Cultural Heritage, Cr.Forma Restoration School, C.so Matteotti 17, 26100 Cremona, ItalyArvedi Laboratory of Non-Invasive Diagnostics, CISRiC, University of Pavia, Via Bell’Aspa 3, 26100 Cremona, ItalyArvedi Laboratory of Non-Invasive Diagnostics, CISRiC, University of Pavia, Via Bell’Aspa 3, 26100 Cremona, ItalyThe study concerned a diagnostic spectroscopic campaign carried out on the panel painting depicting the <i>Coronation of the Virgin</i> (first half of the 15th century) by the late-Gothic Italian painter Michele di Matteo. The main aims were the identification of the original painting materials and the characterization of the painter’s artistic technique. A combined approach based on non- and micro-invasive techniques was employed. Visible and ultraviolet-induced fluorescence photography was used to select the areas of interest for spectroscopic analyses; X-ray radiography assessed the state of conservation of the support, while X-ray fluorescence and external reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopies allowed the chemical identification of pigments, binders, and varnishes. Attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy, optical microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy were used to visualize and characterize the materials in the pictorial layers. The results highlighted the presence of pigments, possibly applied with an egg binder, consistent with the period of the production of the painting, as well as modern pigments used during subsequent restorations: an <i>imprimitura</i> with lead white and a gypsum-based ground layer. Concerning the gilding, the <i>guazzo</i> technique was confirmed by identifying a red <i>bolo</i> substrate and gold leaf.https://www.mdpi.com/2571-9408/7/1/16panel paintingmulti-analytical approachXRFER-FTIRATR-FTIRoptical microscopy |
| spellingShingle | Chiara Delledonne Michela Albano Tommaso Rovetta Gianmarco Borghi Mario Gentile Anna Denia Marvelli Piero Mezzabotta Lucia Riga Elisa Salvini Marta Trucco Francesca Volpi Giacomo Fiocco Rediscovering the Painting Technique of the 15th Century Panel Painting Depicting the Coronation of the Virgin by Michele di Matteo Heritage panel painting multi-analytical approach XRF ER-FTIR ATR-FTIR optical microscopy |
| title | Rediscovering the Painting Technique of the 15th Century Panel Painting Depicting the Coronation of the Virgin by Michele di Matteo |
| title_full | Rediscovering the Painting Technique of the 15th Century Panel Painting Depicting the Coronation of the Virgin by Michele di Matteo |
| title_fullStr | Rediscovering the Painting Technique of the 15th Century Panel Painting Depicting the Coronation of the Virgin by Michele di Matteo |
| title_full_unstemmed | Rediscovering the Painting Technique of the 15th Century Panel Painting Depicting the Coronation of the Virgin by Michele di Matteo |
| title_short | Rediscovering the Painting Technique of the 15th Century Panel Painting Depicting the Coronation of the Virgin by Michele di Matteo |
| title_sort | rediscovering the painting technique of the 15th century panel painting depicting the coronation of the virgin by michele di matteo |
| topic | panel painting multi-analytical approach XRF ER-FTIR ATR-FTIR optical microscopy |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2571-9408/7/1/16 |
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