Re-interpretation of the Old Masters' practices through optical and rheological investigation: The presence of calcite

Laurence de Viguerie; Helen Glanville; Guylaine Ducouret; Pierre Jacquemot; Phuong Anh Dang; Philippe Walter

doi:10.1016/j.crhy.2018.11.003

Re-interpretation of the Old Masters' practices through optical and rheological investigation: The presence of calcite

Laurence de Viguerie ¹; Helen Glanville ¹; Guylaine Ducouret ²; Pierre Jacquemot ^1,³; Phuong Anh Dang ²; Philippe Walter ¹

¹ Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire d'archéologie moléculaire et structurale (LAMS), 75005 Paris, France
² Sciences et ingénierie de la matière molle, CNRS UMR 7615, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, 10, rue Vauquelin, 75231 Paris cedex 05, France
³ Muséum national d'histoire naturelle, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de minéralogie, Physique des matériaux et cosmochimie, 75005 Paris, France

Comptes Rendus. Physique, Volume 19 (2018) no. 7, pp. 543-552.

Abstract
Résumé

Lead white, composed of a mixture of cerussite and hydrocerussite (respectively PbCO₃ and Pb₃(CO₃)₂(OH)₂), is often associated in paintings with other white pigments, especially calcite. By combining in-situ analyses with paint reconstructions, we attempt to get a better understanding of the role of this addition of calcite and to investigate how artists may have used it to modify the properties of their paints. Lead-based white pigments of a Dutch 17th-century nuancier have been analysed as well as historical paintings. Two examples are given: one from a painting by Roger van der Weyden, in the 15th century, and one by Nicolas Poussin, in the 17th century, from specific zones that indicate the addition of calcite. The presence of calcite and pigments enhances both the optical and the rheological properties. Visible reflectance spectroscopy was carried out on pure paints as well as mixtures and indicated an increase in the transparency of the paint mixture in comparison to pure lead white. Rheological measurements also indicated an increase in the elastic and viscous moduli, as well as of the yield stress again in comparison to pure lead white. Calcite could thus have been used to assist in the creation of impasto effects in lead white paints.

Supplementary Materials:
Supplementary material for this article is supplied as a separate file:

mmc1.pdf
&

Le blanc de plomb, composé d'un mélange de cérusite et d'hydrocérusite (respectivement PbCO₃ et Pb₃(CO₃)₂(OH)₂), est souvent associé dans les peintures à d'autres pigments blancs, notamment la calcite. En combinant des analyses in situ et des reconstitutions de peintures, nous essayons de mieux comprendre le rôle de cette addition de calcite et d'étudier comment les artistes l'ont utilisée pour modifier les propriétés de leurs peintures. Des pigments blancs à base de plomb d'un nuancier hollandais du XVII^e siècle ont été analysés, ainsi que des peintures historiques (un tableau de Roger van der Weyden, du XV^e siècle, et un de Nicolas Poussin, du XVII^e siècle). Deux exemples de zones présentant une addition de calcite sont donnés. L'addition de calcite améliore les propriétés optiques et rhéologiques. La spectroscopie de réflectance dans le domaine visible a été réalisée sur des peintures pures ainsi que sur des mélanges et a indiqué une augmentation de la transparence du mélange de peinture par rapport au blanc de plomb pur. Les mesures rhéologiques ont également indiqué une augmentation des modules élastiques et visqueux, ainsi que de la contrainte d'écoulement par rapport au blanc de plomb pur. La calcite aurait donc pu être utilisée pour aider à créer des effets d'impasto dans les peintures au blanc de plomb.

Compléments :
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Published online: 2018-11-01

DOI: 10.1016/j.crhy.2018.11.003

Keywords: Lead white, Chalk, Transparency, Rheology, Visible reflectance spectroscopy
Mot clés : Blanc de plomb, Craie, Transparence, Rhéologie, Spectroscopie par réflectance visible

Author's affiliations:

Laurence de Viguerie ¹; Helen Glanville ¹; Guylaine Ducouret ²; Pierre Jacquemot ^{1, 3}; Phuong Anh Dang ²; Philippe Walter ¹

¹ Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire d'archéologie moléculaire et structurale (LAMS), 75005 Paris, France
² Sciences et ingénierie de la matière molle, CNRS UMR 7615, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, 10, rue Vauquelin, 75231 Paris cedex 05, France
³ Muséum national d'histoire naturelle, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de minéralogie, Physique des matériaux et cosmochimie, 75005 Paris, France

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     author = {Laurence de Viguerie and Helen Glanville and Guylaine Ducouret and Pierre Jacquemot and Phuong Anh Dang and Philippe Walter},
     title = {Re-interpretation of the {Old} {Masters'} practices through optical and rheological investigation: {The} presence of calcite},
     journal = {Comptes Rendus. Physique},
     pages = {543--552},
     publisher = {Elsevier},
     volume = {19},
     number = {7},
     year = {2018},
     doi = {10.1016/j.crhy.2018.11.003},
     language = {en},
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Laurence de Viguerie; Helen Glanville; Guylaine Ducouret; Pierre Jacquemot; Phuong Anh Dang; Philippe Walter. Re-interpretation of the Old Masters' practices through optical and rheological investigation: The presence of calcite. Comptes Rendus. Physique, Volume 19 (2018) no. 7, pp. 543-552. doi : 10.1016/j.crhy.2018.11.003. https://comptes-rendus.academie-sciences.fr/physique/articles/10.1016/j.crhy.2018.11.003/

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