Comparison of macro x-ray fluorescence and reflectance imaging spectroscopy for the semi-quantitative analysis of pigments in easel paintings: A study on lead white and blue verditer

Macroscopic x-ray fluorescence imaging spectroscopy (MA-XRF) and reflectance imaging spectroscopy (RIS) are important tools in the analysis of cultural heritage objects, both for conservation and art historical research purposes. The elemental and molecular distributions provided by MA-XRF and RIS respectively, are particularly useful for the...

The role of smalt in complex pigment mixtures in Rembrandt’s Homer 1663: combining MA-XRF imaging, microanalysis, paint reconstructions and OCT

As part of the NWO Science4Arts REVISRembrandt project (2012–2018), novel chemical imaging techniques were developed and applied to the study of Rembrandt’s late experimental painting technique (1651–1669). One of the unique features in his late paintings is his abundant use of smalt: a blue cobalt glass pigment that he often combined with...

Fading into the background: the dark space surrounding Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring

The background of Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring (c. 1665, Mauritshuis) has, until recently, been interpreted as a flat dark space. The painting was examined in 2018 as part of the research project The Girl in the Spotlight using a combination of micro- and macro-scale analytical techniques. The stratigraphy of the background was...

Separating two painting campaigns in Saul and David, attributed to Rembrandt, using macroscale reflectance and XRF imaging spectroscopies and microscale paint analysis

Late paintings of Rembrandt van Rijn (1606–1669) offer intriguing problems for both art historians and conservation scientists. In the research presented here, the key question addressed is whether observed stylistic differences in paint handling can be correlated with material differences. In Saul and David, in the collection of the Royal...

Artificial orpiment, a new pigment in Rembrandt’s palette

This paper reports on how the application of macro X-ray fluorescence (MA-XRF) imaging, in combination with the re-examination of existing paint cross-sections, has led to the discovery of a new pigment in Rembrandt’s palette: artificial orpiment. In the NWO Science4Arts ‘ReVisRembrandt’ project, novel chemical imaging techniques are being...

Large area imaging of forensic evidence with MA-XRF

This study introduces the use of macroscopic X-ray fluorescence (MA-XRF) for the detection, classification and imaging of forensic traces over large object areas such as entire pieces of clothing and wall paneling. MA-XRF was sufficiently sensitive and selective to detect human biological traces like blood, semen, saliva, sweat and urine on...

Development of new imaging techniques for the study and interpretation of late Rembrandt paintings

Recent macro-XRF scanning of Rembrandt’s Selfportrait from 1669 in the Mauritshuis – as part of the ReVisRembrandt project – has revealed significant<br/>new information about the pigments and build-up of the painting. The elemental distribution maps make clear that the umber-rich ground plays a very important role in the final appearance of...