|
Lead isotope
ratios and trace elements of lead white The mapping of lead isotope ratios and trace
elements of lead white can be a powerful tool to aid authentication of a work
of art, and an indication if a work might be genuine or a forgery. Lead white has been used as an artist’s pigment
since antiquity. It is present in almost every painting throughout the
centuries and has been replaced in the 19th century by zinc white
and in the first quarter of the 20th century by titanium white. The identification of trace elements and
isotope ratios can be useful to identify the particular origin of the lead ore and age of the
pigment. The main focus of the database are the Northern and
Southern schools of great masters, concentrating on the use of lead white in
the Flemish/Dutch and Italian Schools of the 17th century with
particular emphasis on the artist P. P. Rubens and his contemporaries.
White lead (2PbCO3·Pb(OH)2), is
a common component in 17th century artists' paint. Minute samples
taken from paintings from selected art collections worldwide are investigated using
mass-spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy
(SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The high precision lead
isotope abundance ratios were measured by multiple collector inductively
coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) or with thermal ionization mass
spectrometer (TIMS). Up to 11 trace elements are analysed with a mass spectrometer. Our ever expanding database includes more than 220
samples from 100 important old master paintings as well as 725 isotope ratios of
lead ores originating from the most important European lead mines: Allori,
Alessandro; Asselijin, Jan; Barocci, Frederico; Bassano,
Leandro; Belcamp, Jan van; Berchem, Nicolaes; Blin de Fontenay,
Jean-Baptiste; Bramer, Leonaert; Bruegel, Pieter the elder; Brueghel
Jan the younger; Brueghel, Abraham; Brueghel, Jan Pieter, Brueghel,
Jan the younger; Brueghel, Pieter the younger; Cagnacci, Guido; Campi,
Vincenzo; Caracciolo, Giovanni Battista (called Battistello); Champagne,
Philippe de; Claesz, Pieter; D’Artois, Jacques; Dacin di Capella,
Domenichino; El Greco; Fels, Elias ; Forabosco, Girolamo; Francanzano,
Francesco; Francken, Frans the younger; Frank, Daniel; Gennari,
Benedetto; Ghisolfi, Giovanni; Giordano, Luca; Goyen, Jan
van; Hagenbuch, Caspar; Hals, Frans; Hanneman, Adriaen; Hartmann,
Daniel; Hartmann, Hans Anton; Hoffmann, Samuel; Honthorst, Gerrit van; Huchtenburg,
Jan van; Hysmans, Cornelis; Jordaens, Jacob; Kalf, Willem;
Kauffmann, Angelica; Kessel, Jan van; Lauri, Filippo; Lely,
Peter; Lievens, Jan; Lint, Hendrick Frans v.; Lisse, Dirk v. d. ; Loir,
Nicolas; Magnasco, Alessandro; Malo, Vincente; Mancadan, Jacob; Marcos
(Armenian); Meit Conrat (attributed); Michaud, Theobald; Momper, Joos de
and Teniers David the younger; Mytens, Aert; Mytens, Daniel; Neer,
Aert van der; Netscher, Caspar; Olis, Jan; Palamedesz, Anthonie; Palma
il Giovane; Pantoja de la Cruz, Juan; Paudiss, Christoph; Pedrini,
Giovanni; Peeters, Bonaventura; Peschier, N. L.; Petrini, Giuseppe
Antonio; Poussin, Nicolas; Preti, Mattia; Procaccino, Ercole the
younger; Rembrandt; Reni, Guido; Ricci, Sebastiano; Roos,
Jacob; Rosa, Salvator; Rubens; Rubens u. Snyders, Frans;
Rubens, J. and. Breughel the elder; Rugendas, Georg Philipp; Ruisdael,
Jacob Isaaks. Van; Saenredam, Pieter; Schoeff, Johannes P.; Sofonisbe,
Aguisciola; Solimena, Francesco; Steenwyck, Hendrik v.; Stom
Matthias; Streeck, Julian van; Thiele; Tintoretto, Domenicho; Titian;
Torregiani, Bartolomeo; Uden Lucas van; van Dyck, Anthony;
Veyel, Sylvester; Voss, Cornelis de; Wautier, Micheaelina; Wedig,
Gottfried v.; Wouwerman, Philips; Wyck,Thomas. The analysis was initially done at the Swiss
Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research (EMPA) and is currently
continued at the ETH Zurich. We would like to thank the following institutions
for their support: |
:: sitemap
:: disclaimer