Scrutinizing Ecce Homo: European or Indian painting? Assessment by Raman and complementary spectroscopic techniques

Abstract

This work intends to characterize producing techniques and materials used in Ecce Homo painting (P1) from the beginning of the 17th century, made at the time of Iberian Union government in Goa, which belongs to Museum of Christian Art at Old Goa (India). Determination of the manufacturing processes, material characterization of ground/priming layer, and pigment layers were the scopes of this study. Knowledge of Goan painting materials at this epoch is an almost unknownissue. For this study, cross sections were analyzed by micro-Raman spectroscopy to identify core materials, complemented to other techniques: optical microscopy, Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence, scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy, and micro-Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy. Paintings were also examined by infrared reflectography.By scrutinizing this painting, scientific confirmation on materials and technique was achieved, and the comparison with two other paintings, one Goan (P2) and another Portuguese (P3), from the same period and under the same theme was established. Results allowed identification and origin of paintings under study, considered as a Goan feature by art history, bringing also new data for painting conservation decision making.

A Painter in the Shadow: Unveiling Conservation, Materials and Techniques of the Unknown Luso-Flemish Master of Lourinhã

“…Afterwards, the painting components for each layer were analyzed by µ-Raman technique, in order to recognize the compounds and their state of conservation. These analyses were confirmed by µ-FTIR when hardly identified by the µ-Raman technique, as with the carbon black or the green pigments, a difficulty already noticed by other studies on historical samples [3,4].…”

“…The underdrawing, the fineness of the landscapes and the transparency of chromatic material, reveal the talent of a great artist following the Bruges and Antuerpian models. Brought to light by Luís Reis-Santos in 1937 while visiting the Santa Casa da Misericórdia da Lourinhã, these panels are due to an artist who has taken since then the name of Master of Lourinhã [1], an epithet that brings together a series of 30 royal paintings in the same Luso-Flemish manner [2][3][4].…”

Raman spectroscopic study of the pigments in a putative John Constable oil sketch

“…Due to the need to preserve the artwork, this low sample number is common in the analysis of art works, particularly where destructive sampling is employed. [10,11] T A B L E 1 The list of major Raman features and their pigment assignment Sample number Peak position (cm À1 ) Assignment 4 539 Ultramarine/lapis lazuli [5][6][7] 6 1049 Lead white [6,8] 257 Red lead [5][6][7][8] 8 547 Ultramarine/lapis lazuli [5][6][7] 9 2152, 2120, 2091, 279, 216 Prussian blue [6,8] 1594, 1338 amorphous carbon [6,9] 1007 gypsum [7] 838, 532 chrome yellow [6,8] 986, 602 bone/ivory black [6,9] 12 629, 544, 438, 381, 328 Red lead [5][6][7][8] 17 1074 Gypsum [7] 545 Ultramarine/lapis lazuli [5][6][7] 252…”

Recent advances in linear and nonlinear Raman spectroscopy. Part XIV

“…Antunes et al [ 126 ] used Raman and complementary techniques to characterize materials used in Ecce Homo painting from the beginning of the 17th century. Their results allowed identification and origin of paintings considered as a Goan feature by art history, thus bringing new data for painting conservation.…”