Vermilion in Rubens’ Portrait of a Young Man in Armor
Baroque artist Peter Paul Rubens’ sumptuous portrait depicts a handsome young man in contemporary armor, with a red sash tossed over his shoulder. Using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy, an elemental analysis tool, BACC discovered that the paint contained mercury (Hg). This indicates that the key pigment in this painting is vermilion, the “king of reds.”Vermilion is an alluring orangish-red pigment, which owes its enduring popularity to its excellent opacity and permanence. As 17th-century art historian Karel van Mander notes, vermilion is essential to achieving lifelike flesh tones. Artists of this era, including Rubens, sourced their vermilion either naturally, from the mineral cinnabar, or synthetically. At this time, Amsterdam was a major manufacturing center of this pigment.This painting is a testament to van Mander’s words. BACC’s analysis revealed the presence of vermilion in both the subject’s ruddy cheeks and stunning crimson scarf. These findings place Rubens’ portrait well within the 17th-century art historical discourse.
Copper Green in Bartolomeo Veneto’s Portrait of a Lady in a Green Dress
In this magnificent portrait by the great Venetian painter Bartolomeo Veneto, a noblewoman epitomizes elegance and affluence in a luxurious, emerald-green confection of a dress. This stunningly detailed gown was the target of BACC’s examination.XRF technology detected copper, indicating the possible presence of malachite, verdigris and/or copper resinate. Verdigris and copper resinate, which produce intense, pure green tones, were extremely common during the High Renaissance. These pigments originated from Italy’s Veneto region and were derived from copper plates used in wine-making. In the painting, Veneto appears to have used a glaze of semi-transparent copper green to produce the brilliant, saturated green of the dress and an opaque copper green mixed with white to add highlights.Surprisingly, very little is known about Veneto, and many scholars believe this portrait was his final work. Material analysis is critical because each microscopic detail uncovered helps decipher this painting’s enigmatic history.
Pieter Brueghel the Elder, Parable of the Sower
Surprisingly, little documentary evidence exists from Dutch master Pieter Brueghel the Elder’s lifetime, so curators rely on his paintings to ascertain information about his patrons, travels and membership in the painter’s guild of St. Luke. This motivated the Timken and BACC to conduct an XRF investigation into Brueghel’s painting Parable of the Sower. The insight gained through this research supplied the Timken with information on how this work was created and how to best preserve it for the future.The misty mountains that serve as the backdrop to Brueghel’s placid, ethereal landscape were the focus of the XRF analysis. Conservators noticed subtle variations in the blue tones, which suggests Brueghel utilized two different pigments, azurite and smalt. Azurite is present in the mountains near the base of the range. As the sister stone to malachite, azurite exhibits a greenish hue used to create an illusion of depth in bodies of water. Whereas smalt is a form of ground cobalt glass. Its weaker color payoff lends well to soft, atmospheric tones, but discoloration can be a concern. However, this painting fortunately bears no evidence of discoloration of smalt. The nuances of each pigment add to the beauty of this piece, which occupies a place of great significance in Breughel’s œuvre.
Rembrandt van Rijn, Saint Bartholomew
Rembrandt van Rijn’s painting Saint Bartholomew depicts the illustrious apostle perched on the edge of an armchair with his pale face bathed in golden light. The drama of the portrait is heightened by the subtle glint of the steel blade in the saint’s hand, referencing his martyrdom.Rembrandt used a technique called grof manier, or rough manner, to evoke the beam of light illuminating St. Bartholomew’s brow. This dynamic technique involved applying visible brushstrokes to create a surface that was best seen from a distance. The conservators at BACC used x-radiography to examine these thickly textured areas of paint. The x-radiograph films revealed light areas that corresponded to the painted white areas of the painting, revealing the presence of lead white, a dense and highly toxic pigment. Lead white was the only white pigment available until about the mid 18th century, giving artists no other choice for a white pigment for oil paint.Lead white has been used by artists since ancient times. The material is produced by placing metallic lead in clay pots containing vinegar. Over time, a frothy layer of white lead carbonate forms. Despite being incredibly inexpensive to produce, lead white made for a rich, opaque paint ideal for “rough” techniques. Its creamy, luminous finish was favored by countless artists, including Rembrandt.The solemn mood of this portrait may have reflected Rembrandt’s personal struggles at the time of its creation. Widowed and bankrupt, the sacred subject of this painting may have been a reflection of Rembrandt's own inner struggle and state of mind. These biographical insights, along with the scientific insights garnered through pigment analysis, help flesh out the fascinating backstory of this extraordinary work.
