The colours of Segesta. Searching for the traces of the lost pigments

Ciaramitaro, Veronica; Armetta, Francesco; Saladino, Maria Luisa

doi:10.1016/j.culher.2022.11.003

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 34 publications

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“…Analytical methods employed in heritage science for the analysis of materials and production techniques are a well-established research field, demanding high performance, non-invasive, non-destructive and portable instruments [1][2][3][4][5][6][7]. These qualities can be found in the X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) technique, and for this reason it is one of the most employed analytical methods in heritage science, as indeed it allows relatively fast multielemental, non-invasive, non-destructive and in situ analyses [8][9][10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Importance of Preventive Analysis in Heritage Science: MA-XRF Supporting the Restoration of Madonna with Child by Mantegna

Mazzinghi

Castelli²,

Giambi

et al. 2023

Applied Sciences

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The Madonna with Child by Andrea Mantegna owned by the Museo Poldi Pezzoli in Milan is painted on canvas with an unusual distemper technique. During the period of 1863–1865, the painting was restored by Giuseppe Molteni. The identification of potential retouchings by Molteni, possibly covering part of the original layer, was the object of this work carried at the Opificio delle Pietre Dure. To evaluate the extent of both Molteni’s intervention and Mantegna’s original layer, the MA-XRF spectrometer developed by CHNet-INFN was used to discriminate between the two paint layers and identify the materials and the extension of both “artists”. Indeed, the elemental maps showed that Molteni’s work entirely covered the mantle of the Virgin, even changing the fold of the draperies and enriching the red robe with shell gold highlights, giving a different appearance to the painting. Moreover, MA-XRF also revealed that the original Mantegna was still mostly intact underneath Molteni’s layer, thereby providing a decisive guide for conservation works. These results indeed formed the basis for the technical decision to remove the varnish and Molteni’s version, unveiling the original Mantegna. A second MA-XRF campaign was then carried out to fully characterise the materials of this unusual painting technique.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Importance of Preventive Analysis in Heritage Science: MA-XRF Supporting the Restoration of Madonna with Child by Mantegna

Mazzinghi

Castelli²,

Giambi

et al. 2023

Applied Sciences

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X-ray and neutron imaging for cultural heritage: the INFN-CHNet experience

Mazzinghi,

Castelli,

Ruberto

et al. 2024

Eur. Phys. J. Plus

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This paper reports on the instrumentation and expertise developed within the INFN-CHNet network for X-ray and neutron imaging, which enable non-invasive identification of materials and production processes in the field of cultural heritage. INFN-CHNet is the network of the Italian National Institute of Nuclear Physics specifically dedicated to the development and application of scientific methods and technologies to cultural heritage. This article focuses on portable MA-XRF scanners, often complemented by additional techniques, PIXE imaging on a newly developed portable accelerator, X-ray radiography and tomography, exploited to their full potential also through the use of portable systems, and neutron radiography and tomography, which require large-scale facilities. In many respects, the information obtained from X-ray and neutron-based methods is complementary, facilitating a comprehensive characterisation of materials, structures, and manufacturing techniques. Graphical abstract

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The colours of Segesta. Searching for the traces of the lost pigments

Cited by 2 publications

References 34 publications

The Importance of Preventive Analysis in Heritage Science: MA-XRF Supporting the Restoration of Madonna with Child by Mantegna

The Importance of Preventive Analysis in Heritage Science: MA-XRF Supporting the Restoration of Madonna with Child by Mantegna

X-ray and neutron imaging for cultural heritage: the INFN-CHNet experience

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