Recipe analysis, reconstruction and re-enactment: historical technical source on the cleaning of easel Paintings

Devesa, Joana; Carlyle, Leslie; Stols-Witlox, Maartje; Boon, Jaap J.; Fernando, Ana Luisa; Zumbühl, Stefan; de Sá, Susana França (2022). Recipe analysis, reconstruction and re-enactment: historical technical source on the cleaning of easel Paintings The Role of Sources and Performative Methods in Art Technological Studies, pp. 143-154. ICOM-CC Publications

Text Devesa et al 2022_Recipe analysis reconstruction and reenactment historical technical source on the cleaning of easel paintings.pdf - Published Version Restricted to registered users only Available under License Publisher holds Copyright. Download (2MB) | Request a copy

Analysis of over 180 historical documentary sources from 1600 to 1900 covering the cleaning of oil paintings established that the use of alkalis was mentioned in over 50% of references to aqueous cleaning. Alkalis could be employed as a paste with wood ashes and water or in the form of lye. Historical alkali cleaning recipes based on wood ashes were reconstructed and characterised using titration and in- ductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). Results indicate that pH depends on the wood-ash source, the age of both the ashes and the lye, as well as on the proportion of ash to water. Reconstructions of lye solutions and wood-ash pastes were applied to naturally aged model oil paints and oil paintings. Their visual impact was investigated using high resolution imaging, and chemical changes were studied with infrared spectroscopy in attenuated total reflection (ATR-FTIR) and focal-plane array Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR-FPA) as well as scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM-EDX). These latter investigations determined the presence of potassium within the upper layers of paint samples after exposure to wood ash lye. The potassium remained in the oil network after extensive water rinsing. This research adds information to our existing knowledge about historical cleaning methodologies and contributes to a better understanding of the current condition of paintings previously cleaned with alkalis.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)
Division/Institute:	Bern Academy of the Arts Bern Academy of the Arts > Institute Materiality in Art and Culture Bern Academy of the Arts > Institute Materiality in Art and Culture > Conservation Techniques
Name:	Devesa, Joana; Carlyle, Leslie; Stols-Witlox, Maartje; Boon, Jaap J.; Fernando, Ana Luisa; Zumbühl, Stefan0000-0002-8896-2938 and de Sá, Susana França
Subjects:	N Fine Arts > ND Painting Q Science > Q Science (General)
ISBN:	978-2-491997-42-7
Series:	Proceedings
Publisher:	ICOM-CC Publications
Language:	English
Submitter:	Cornelius Palmbach
Date Deposited:	20 Dec 2022 11:19
Last Modified:	16 Jan 2024 15:29
Additional Information:	The publications on the ICOM-CC Publications Online platform are available to individuals for private study, scholarship, and research purposes only
ARBOR DOI:	10.24451/arbor.18431
URI:	https://arbor.bfh.ch/id/eprint/18431