Realizing sensations: analyzing Paul Cezanne’s watercolors and assessing their light sensitivity with microfade testing
Abstract The exhibition Cézanne Drawing at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) brought together an exceptional group of works on paper from public and private collections across the globe. Recognizing the inherent light sensitivity of both the paper and watercolors, controlling, and tracking light expos...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SpringerOpen
2023-02-01
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| Series: | Heritage Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40494-023-00879-7 |
| _version_ | 1797863877334007808 |
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| author | Abed Haddad Laura Neufeld Ana Martins |
| author_facet | Abed Haddad Laura Neufeld Ana Martins |
| author_sort | Abed Haddad |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The exhibition Cézanne Drawing at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) brought together an exceptional group of works on paper from public and private collections across the globe. Recognizing the inherent light sensitivity of both the paper and watercolors, controlling, and tracking light exposure was central to the exhibition planning. This concern also led to a systematic study of three watercolors in the museum’s collection, Foliage (1895), Study of Trees (1895), and Mont Sainte-Victoire (1902-06), to characterize the watercolor paints used by Cezanne in these works and their sensitivity to light exposure, and to better understand the condition of the drawings based on the palette’s chemistry. Examination and analysis were undertaken non-invasively and micro-invasively with the following techniques: Infrared Reflectography (IRR), Ultraviolet Fluorescence Photography (UVF), Raman and surface-enhanced Raman (SERS) spectroscopies in addition to X-Ray fluorescence analysis on small spots and large areas using portable (p-XRF) and XRF scanning, respectively. The palette for these three watercolor drawings includes lead white, bone black, vermilion, yellow ochre, chrome yellow, emerald green, viridian, cobalt blue, and synthetic alizarin and carmine lakes. Microfade testing (MFT) was performed on the paper support and spots with each identified pigment, and the data acquired was evaluated both for color change (ΔE00) and rate of color change ( $$\frac{\partial \Delta {E}_{00}}{\partial t}$$ ∂ Δ E 00 ∂ t ). Together these techniques inform the future display and loan of these and similarly fugitive watercolors in Cézanne’s oeuvre. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T22:42:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7ad1255509954f45978639a11f9d8302 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2050-7445 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T22:42:43Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | SpringerOpen |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Heritage Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-7ad1255509954f45978639a11f9d83022023-03-22T12:02:11ZengSpringerOpenHeritage Science2050-74452023-02-0111111410.1186/s40494-023-00879-7Realizing sensations: analyzing Paul Cezanne’s watercolors and assessing their light sensitivity with microfade testingAbed Haddad0Laura Neufeld1Ana Martins2The David Booth Conservation Department, The Museum of Modern ArtThe David Booth Conservation Department, The Museum of Modern ArtThe David Booth Conservation Department, The Museum of Modern ArtAbstract The exhibition Cézanne Drawing at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) brought together an exceptional group of works on paper from public and private collections across the globe. Recognizing the inherent light sensitivity of both the paper and watercolors, controlling, and tracking light exposure was central to the exhibition planning. This concern also led to a systematic study of three watercolors in the museum’s collection, Foliage (1895), Study of Trees (1895), and Mont Sainte-Victoire (1902-06), to characterize the watercolor paints used by Cezanne in these works and their sensitivity to light exposure, and to better understand the condition of the drawings based on the palette’s chemistry. Examination and analysis were undertaken non-invasively and micro-invasively with the following techniques: Infrared Reflectography (IRR), Ultraviolet Fluorescence Photography (UVF), Raman and surface-enhanced Raman (SERS) spectroscopies in addition to X-Ray fluorescence analysis on small spots and large areas using portable (p-XRF) and XRF scanning, respectively. The palette for these three watercolor drawings includes lead white, bone black, vermilion, yellow ochre, chrome yellow, emerald green, viridian, cobalt blue, and synthetic alizarin and carmine lakes. Microfade testing (MFT) was performed on the paper support and spots with each identified pigment, and the data acquired was evaluated both for color change (ΔE00) and rate of color change ( $$\frac{\partial \Delta {E}_{00}}{\partial t}$$ ∂ Δ E 00 ∂ t ). Together these techniques inform the future display and loan of these and similarly fugitive watercolors in Cézanne’s oeuvre.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40494-023-00879-7Paul CezanneWatercolorsp-XRFXRF ScanningRamanSERS |
| spellingShingle | Abed Haddad Laura Neufeld Ana Martins Realizing sensations: analyzing Paul Cezanne’s watercolors and assessing their light sensitivity with microfade testing Heritage Science Paul Cezanne Watercolors p-XRF XRF Scanning Raman SERS |
| title | Realizing sensations: analyzing Paul Cezanne’s watercolors and assessing their light sensitivity with microfade testing |
| title_full | Realizing sensations: analyzing Paul Cezanne’s watercolors and assessing their light sensitivity with microfade testing |
| title_fullStr | Realizing sensations: analyzing Paul Cezanne’s watercolors and assessing their light sensitivity with microfade testing |
| title_full_unstemmed | Realizing sensations: analyzing Paul Cezanne’s watercolors and assessing their light sensitivity with microfade testing |
| title_short | Realizing sensations: analyzing Paul Cezanne’s watercolors and assessing their light sensitivity with microfade testing |
| title_sort | realizing sensations analyzing paul cezanne s watercolors and assessing their light sensitivity with microfade testing |
| topic | Paul Cezanne Watercolors p-XRF XRF Scanning Raman SERS |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40494-023-00879-7 |
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