No abstract

11Energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence is a common analytical tool for layer thickness measurements in 12 quality control processes in coating industry, but there are scarce microanalytical applications in order to artworks. The method was tested on standard reference materials: dried droplets of monoelemental 19 standard solutions laid on a metallic plate of copper. As an example of application, we estimated pigment 20 mass distribution of two "oil on copper" painting from the sixteenth and eighteenth century respectively. 21Pictorial layers have been complementarily analyzed by X-ray diffraction. 22Apart of the supporting media made of copper or brass, we could identify two different superimposed 23 layers: a) a preparation layer mainly composed by white lead and b) the pictorial layer of variable 24 composition depending on the pigments used by the artist on small areas of the painting surface. The areal 25 mass distribution of the different elements identified in the painting pigments (Ca, Cr, Mn, Fe, Zn, Cd, 26 Hg and Pb) have been determined by elemental mapping of some parts of the artworks.