Historical Painting Techniques, Materials, and Studio Practice

scanning electron microscopy I energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDX)
analysis indicated a low oxygen peak, which may indicate that a mixture of
lead dioxide and lead sulfide is present here. In addition, cinnabar has altered
to its dark form, metacinnabar, as shown in Sample 37, taken from the darkened
cheek patch of a prophet on the vault.
Acknowledgments
I am grateful to the Leverhulme Trust for their generosity in funding the five-year
study, and to the Skaggs Foundation for their support of the conservation program
at Winchester. Particular thanks are also due to G. Cressey and P. Tandy of the Natural
History Museum, and to David Park, Sharon Cather, and Robyn Pender of the
Conservation of Wall Painting Department, Courtauld Institute of Art.
Table 1.
Samples Jrom the east wall oj the Holy Sepulchre Chapel, Winchester Cathedral
Sample No:
3
Location and Description
E. wall, upper tier, S. side, olive green
background to left of Nicodemus' foot.
Original Polychromy
• vivianite 20llm
• natural ultramarine 30llm
Indications of binding medialPigment
alterations and other additions
• vivianite has partially altered from blue to yellow
________
--
--
--
--
--. I ;m e p I t er w ; il i c ha r o o al b la ck ;n cl us ;o n ; s =. 40 O m
--
----------__________
- E. wall, upper tier, S. side, red background
5
6
7
8
9
10
21
22
adjacent to cross, red over blue.
E. wall, upper tier, N. side, uppermost edge of
Joseph of Aramathea's hat, grey surface over red
pigment on blue.
E. wall, upper tier, N. side, Joseph of
Aramathea's red drapery, translucent dark red
shadow just below beard.
E. wall, upper tier, Christ's right fOOl, mid-dark
flesh tone.
E. wall, upper tier, Nicodemus' pink drapery, at
hip level, pale pink with highlight.
E. wall, lower tier, N. side, Joseph of
Aramathea's red robe, darkest red tone at uppermost
edge.
E. wall, lower tier, N. side, Christ's proper hand,
flesh painting with pink drop of blood on
surface.
E. wall, lower tier, Harrowing a/Hell, deep
purple shadow in drapery.
E. wall, lower tier, Harrowing of Hell, green
outer drapery (query modem retouching).
• cinnabar in red lead matrix with a f e w particles of natural ultramarine • calcium carbonate crust on surface
220J,lm
• natural ultramarine 30llm
- cinnabar IOllm
• natural ultramarine and charcoal black in a lime white matrix 10llm
• lime plaster with charcoal black inclusions 250m
• haematite 20m
• yellow iron oxide 2m
• trace calcium carbonate
• cinnabar 551lm
• lime plaster! OOm
• red, yeUow and green iron oxides and charcoal black 10m
• green iron oxide 45 m
- lime white combined with yellow iron oxide IOOllm
• yellow iron oxide 25).101
• red iron earth 50).1m
• trace I ime plaster
• red lake with a trace of ultramarine in a calcium carbonate matrix
100).1m. The trace of calcium sulphate present in the layer may
represent the substrate of the lake pigment, now faded.
• plaster substrate with charcoal black 80).1m
• cinnabar 30l1m
• yellow iron oxide IOl1m
• plaster substrate with a few charcoal black inclusions 200l1m
• cinnabar 20l1m
• trace yellow iron oxide
• green iron oxide 4511m
• lime white with yellow iron oxide particles 100l1m
• lime white, yellow iron oxide and charcoal black 60l1m
• natural ultramarine, charcoal black and lime white 90l1m
• lime white 40l1m
• plaster substrate 200Jlm
• red lake pigment has faded
• cobalt green (CoO'nZnO)
23
24
25
26
E. wall, lower tier, lower edge of sarcophagus,
deep purple over yellow.
E. wall, lower tier, Christ's loin cloth, yellow
shadow over deep yellow.
E. wall, upper tier, Magdalene's drapery, hem at
calf level, yellow & white bole over red/purple
and black paint layers.
E. wall, upper tier, Nicodemus' cloak, blue and
white vair lining, green area over blue.
27 E. wall, central decorative border, 4th circular
motif from north side, impasto motif in orange
28
29
30
31
32
and white.
E. wall, upper tier, Nicodemus' right proper leg ,
brilliant rich red highlight over red lead and
yellow earth.
E. wall, upper tier, wavy ground between
Nicodemus' legs, deep red brown over pink.
E. wall, lower tier, censing angel, halo. trace
gilding on bole over brown paint layer and red
lead.
E. wall, lowertier, N. side, angel's drapery,
green over yellow near hem.
E. wall, upper tier, N. side, grey/green
background between legs of Joseph of
Aramathea.
• charcoal black, redlbrown iron oxides with a few particles of cinnabar
80/1m
• yeJlow iron oxide combined with lime white 90l1m
• plaster substrate l20/1m
• yellow iron oxide and umber with a few charcoal black particles 30/1m
• plaster substrate 100)1m
• resinous layer 50)1m
• white layer (calcium carbonate + protein) 30)1m
• resinous layer lOO).lm
• white layer (calcium carbonate + protein) 20/1m
• resinous layer 100llm
- vivianite in calcium carbonate matrix 90l1m
• natural ultramarine in lime matrix 100J.lm
• plaster substrate 300).lm
• red lead combined with lead white and calcium carbonate with a trace
of proteinaceous binding medium present 200).lm
• carbon black 10/1m
• cinnabar combined with red lead 50).lm
• red lead IOO/1m
• red iron oxide 15J.lm
• cinnabar 10).lm
• plaster substrate/ground 400/1m
• underdrawing, red iron oxide and cinnabar IOOllm
• gold leaf5/1m
• resinous mordant 20J.lm
• white layer (calcium carbonate + protein) 10/1m
• dark resinous layer 15/1m
• white layer (calcium carbonate + protein) 20m
• dark resinous layer 25).lm
• green iron oxide combined with some charcoal black particles 50/1m
• yellow iron oxide 75m
• yellow iron oxide combined with lime white 180/1m
• plaster substrate with charcoal black particles 120/1m
• charcoal black with a few red and yellow iron oxide particles 80).lm
• plaster substrate 200llm
• a proteinaceous binding medium is present in the white layers
• vivianite has partially altered from blue to yellow
• translucent crust of calcium carbonate combined with calcium sulphate on
surface
• a proteinaceous binding medium is present in the red paint layer
• white crust on surface
• white crust and trace pigment on surface
• a proteinaceous binding medium is present in the white layers
• trace white crust combined with a few charcoal black particles
The table gives the location where each sample was taken, the sample number. and the stratigraphy of the various layers from the top down,
with the thickness of each layer in microns (pm).
Howard 101