Research on the Chromatic Palette of a Modern Romanian Painter

Abstract

The paper focuses on two works of art, Chrysanthemums and Roses, painted by Stefan Luchian, a representative painter for the modern Romanian art from the beginning of the 20th century. The two paintings were analyzed by several non-invasive techniques (optical microscopy, grazing light and UV examination, IR reflectography, XRF and Raman spectrometry) in order to get information concerning the chromatic and to assess the state of conservation. The study is focused in particular on yellow, red and white pigments, which are different in the two pictorial compositions: in Chrysanthemums the predominant pigments are Madder lake, cadmium yellow and zinc white mixed with lead white, while in Roses cinnabar, strontium yellow and lead white were found, according to the XRF and Raman analysis.

Village from Muscel by Ion Marinescu Valsan State of Conservation and the Chromatic Palette

“…The elemental analysis of mineral pigments and ground layers was carried out in-situ [7,8,[9][10][11][12][13][14] using a XRF spectrometer type INNOV-X Systems Alpha Series Bruker, non-destructive portable instrument. The apparatus is equipped with an X-ray tube with W anode, working at the maximum parameters of 35kV voltage and 40ìA current intensity; the fluorescence radiation is detected and analyzed with a PIN Si detector, thermoelectrically cooled, controlled by a minicomputer.…”