Publication
Title
Molecular fluorescence imaging spectroscopy for mapping low concentrations of red lake pigments : Van Gogh's painting The Olive Orchard
Author
Abstract
Vincent van Gogh used fugitive red lake pigments that have faded in some paintings. Mapping their distribution is key to understanding how his paintings have changed with time. While red lake pigments can be identified from microsamples, in situ identification and mapping remain challenging. This paper explores the ability of molecular fluorescence imaging spectroscopy to identify and, more importantly, map residual non-degraded red lakes. The high sensitivity of this method enabled identification of the emission spectra of eosin (tetrabromine fluorescein) lake mixed with lead or zinc white at lower concentrations than elemental X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy used on account of bromine. The molecular fluorescence mapping of residual eosin and two carmine red lakes in van Gogh's The Olive Orchard is demonstrated and compared with XRF imaging spectroscopy. The red lakes are consistent with the composition of paint tubes known to have been used by van Gogh.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Angewandte Chemie: international edition in English. - Weinheim
Publication
Weinheim : Wiley-v c h verlag gmbh , 2020
ISSN
1433-7851
0570-0833
DOI
10.1002/ANIE.201915490
Volume/pages
9 p.
ISI
000512477200001
Pubmed ID
31961988
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (open access)
Full text (publisher's version - intranet only)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Project info
IPERION CH: Integrated Platform for the European Research Infrastructure ON Cultural Heritage
Optimisation of X-ray laminography for non-destructive imaging of the internal structure of historical paintings
A combined IR, NIR and MA-XRF material inspection method
Fusing microscopic and nanoscopic 3D data with macroscopic 2D mapping information for a better understanding of paint degradation phenomena in 17th. century masterpieces
SOLARPAINT: Understanding the durability of light sensitive materials: transferring insights between solar cell physics and the chemistry of paintings.
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 04.03.2020
Last edited 02.01.2025
To cite this reference