Several medieval paintings and polychrome sculptures have been analysed in the frame of a collaboration between the Fine Arts Museum of Seville and the National Centre of Accelerators, dedicated to a non-destructive study of artworks that belong to the wide museum's collection. Among the oldest artworks in the collection is the panel painting Archangel St. Michael attributed to Juan Hispalense, one of the first painters in the 15th-century Seville known by name. The panel was analysed by a portable X-ray fluorescence (XRF) to get more information about the pigments applied and to identify possible later interventions. The results showed that the pigments were those commonly used in that period. Lead white was found in the preparation of the painting and in colour layers. For yellow colour, yellow ochre was used, while for the red one, the painter usually mixed red earth and vermillion. Blue pigment is azurite, while the copper-based green one could not be determined more specifically by XRF. Brown colour is made with yellow ochre and organic black or, in some cases, umbra. Black pigment is probably bone or ivory black. Many decorative parts of the panel are gilded, which were confirmed by Au peaks. Later interventions were carried out on the base of Ti-Zn white mixed with earth pigments, while for green areas such as Archangel's wings also chrome green was applied. The research is part of a larger study which is still going on, whose aim is to gain more knowledge about the 15thand 16th-century Spanish painting and polychromy.

Pietro Torrigiano was a very well known Italian sculptor working in the first half of the 16th century. He got his artistic education in the heart of the Renaissance Italy, in the Academia of Florence. Travelling around Europe, he was entrusted by important artistic orders for noble families, courts and the Church. In 1522, he came to Spain where he carried out his latest artworks. Two of them are exposed today in the Fine Arts Museum of Seville: Saint Jerome and Our Lady of Bethlehem. Both sculptures were analyzed by the nondestructive technique of x‐ray fluorescence (XRF) directly in situ in the exposition room. The support and the pigments were analyzed. The raw material in both sculptures is terracotta (characterized by Mn, Al, Si, K, Ca and Fe). The results of the first one, Saint Jerome, show a great part of modern materials applied, such as Ti and Zn white, revealing some retouches or even a repolychromy of the sculpture. The original parts show the use of lead white (Pb), yellow and red ochre (Ca, Fe), cinnabar (Hg) and umbra (Mn, Fe). The spectra of the Our Lady of Bethlehem sculpture show that the bench under the Virgin is not original and it was added later. The original pigments applied were white lead, red ochre, cinnabar, blue azurite, some copper‐based green pigment, umbra and an organic black pigment. Small presence of tin–lead yellow was detected. Decorative parts of the blue Virgin's coat and red pillow were gilded. Also in this sculpture modern pigments were found that confirm later restoration interventions. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Pedro Millán is considered one of the more important Andalusian sculptors from the medieval period. He worked mainly in Seville, where he is documented between 1485 and 1507. Most of his sculptures were made of terracotta and then polychromated and gilded. Some of his works exhibited at the Museum of Fine Arts in Seville are characterised by relatively well‐preserved polychromation. His sculpture Christ Man of Sorrows (1485–1503) was selected for the non‐destructive x‐ray fluorescence examination. Using this technique, pigments and support were analysed. The predominant elements, Ca and Fe, and a lesser presence of other elements, such as Mg, Si and Mn, demonstrate that the sculpture is indeed of terracotta. A high presence of Pb was detected in all the selected areas, related in part to the preparation/imprimation layer, and in part to a Pb‐based compound used as a pigment or as a dryer. The analysis shows that the red colour is cinnabar (Hg). The blue pigment is azurite (Cu), possibly mixed with vivianite (Fe). The green colour was made using a copper‐based pigment. The brown colour is an earth pigment, probably toasted umbra (Mn, Fe). In particular parts of the sculpture, gold was confirmed for decorative elements. Traces of silver were found in parts of the sculpture, but we do not have a clear answer to account for its presence yet. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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