Combined ¹⁴C Analysis of Canvas and Organic Binder for Dating a Painting

Abstract

ABSTRACT. The use of accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) for age determinations of paintings is growing due to decreasing sample size requirements. However, as only the support material is usually dated, the validity of the results may be questioned. This work describes a novel sampling and preparation technique for dating the natural organic binder using radiocarbon ( 14 C) AMS. In the particular case of oil paintings, the natural oil used has a high probability of being representative of the time of creation, hereby circumventing the problem of the originality of the support material. A multi-technique approach was developed for a detailed characterization of all paint components to identify the binder type as well as pigments and additives present in the sample. The technique was showcased on a painting of the 20th century. The results by 14 C AMS dating show that both the canvas and binding medium predate the signed date by 4-5 yr. This could be the time span for keeping painting material in the atelier. The method developed provides, especially given the low amounts of material needed for analysis, a superior precision and accuracy in dating and has potential to become a standard method for oil painting dating.

Selective Dating of Paint Components: Radiocarbon Dating of Lead White Pigment

“…Among the objects made available for the study was an oil on canvas painting by Franz Rederer entitled Bildnis Margrit mit roter Jacke und Konzertkleid, 1962, 140 × 100 cm, SIK-ISEA, Zurich (Figure 1). The results of the radiocarbon dating of the canvas and oil binder from this panting has been previously reported (Hendriks et al 2018). For this study, a sample of green paint from the reverse of the canvas was collected.…”

Uncovering modern paint forgeries by radiocarbon dating

“…Radiocarbon dating of the binder is a complex task, as the paint sample is a heterogeneous mixture of pigments within an organic binding medium. Following the criteria for sampling locations described in a pilot study (12), the sample selection was narrowed to the white-painted building (Fig. 1).…”

“…Following a multiinstrumental approach previously defined (12), the paint sample was fully characterized and its suitability, i.e., presence of inorganic pigments exclusively, was assessed for further 14 C analysis. In their work, Smith et al (23) already conducted X-ray fluorescence measurement, hereby allowing to narrow the sample selection to the white building as the observed elemental distribution hinted to the use of inorganic pigments.…”

“…These ongoing developments (9–11) have revolutionized sample requirements and hold great promise to support the research and understanding of cultural heritage materials, where sampling is critical and sample size is very often limited. The GIS-AMS setup requires only minute amounts of material rendering the 14 C analysis microinvasive and henceforth opening the possibility to target paint layers themselves (12). In the case of a painting, the typical supports made of textile, wood, parchment, or paper are sampled, as they usually offer sufficient material and can provide decisive evidence in authentication issues (13, 14).…”

Identifying art forgeries by radiocarbon dating microgram quantities of artists’ paints

“…What is significant about this study (1) and other works of Hendriks and colleagues (7,9,14) is that they delve into the paint layers themselves. This approach has been facilitated by instrumental advances that have reduced sample size requirements to barely discernable quantities.…”