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James Ensor's pigment use: artistic and material evolution studied by means of portable X‐ray fluorescence spectrometry
Author(s) -
Snickt Geert Van der,
Janssens Koen,
Schalm Olivier,
Aibéo Cristina,
Kloust Hauke,
Alfeld Matthias
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
x‐ray spectrometry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.447
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1097-4539
pISSN - 0049-8246
DOI - 10.1002/xrs.1235
Subject(s) - painting , identification (biology) , mass spectrometry , perspective (graphical) , pigment , set (abstract data type) , art , computer science , chemistry , history , art history , chromatography , visual arts , botany , biology , programming language
In this paper, portable X‐ray fluorescence spectrometry (PXRF) was employed as a screening tool for determining and comparing the pigment use in a large series of paintings by the Belgian artist James Ensor (1860–1949). Benefits and drawbacks of PXRF as a method, and the instrument employed, are discussed from a practical, conservation and instrumental perspective. Regardless of several restrictions due to the set‐up and/or the analytical method, it appeared feasible to document the evolution with time in Ensor's use of inorganic pigments and to correlate this technical evolution with stylistic developments, Nevertheless, it became clear that a full identification of all materials present can only be done by means of the analysis of (cross‐sectioned) samples. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.