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Spanish mediaeval frescoes at Basconcillos del Tozo: a Fourier transform Raman spectroscopic study
Author(s) -
Edwards H. G. M.,
Farwell D. W.,
Rull Perez F.,
Jorge Villar S.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of raman spectroscopy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.748
H-Index - 110
eISSN - 1097-4555
pISSN - 0377-0486
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-4555(199904)30:4<307::aid-jrs373>3.0.co;2-w
Subject(s) - cinnabar , fresco , palette (painting) , polychrome , painting , art , pigment , gypsum , chemistry , mineralogy , raman spectroscopy , archaeology , materials science , art history , optics , visual arts , geography , physics , metallurgy
The late mediaeval frescoes in the Church of SS Cosmo and Damian at Basconcillos del Tozo, Castille y Léon, Spain, were studied using Fourier transform Raman spectroscopy. The paintings were only discovered about 3 years ago and afforded a rare opportunity for spectroscopic analysis of pigments and substrata which have not been subjected to cleaning or re‐touching over the last 600 years. Although in a polychrome palette, the most common pigments were reds, followed by black, yellow and blue; 20 samples were taken for analysis. The red pigments were identified spectroscopically and a hierarchical application is evident, with pure cinnabar being used for only the most important biblical figures. There is evidence in two of the samples taken of hydrated calcium oxalate, probably arising from lichen colonization, but it is not possible to infer whether this is pre‐ or post‐mural painting. The substrate shows no evidence for the presence of a gypsum plaster. The difference between the red pigments in the paintings is associated spectroscopically with mixtures of red ochre and cinnabar in the figures and also organic coloured resins in the background. There is also some spectroscopic evidence for the inclusion of red lead in figures in the lower panels. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.