Yellow pigments in painting: characterisation and UV laser‐induced modifications

Abstract

Artistic yellow pigments, commonly employed from antiquity, were investigated by morphological, spectrophotometric and compositional analyses. Namely, scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray (SEM/EDX) characterisations and reflectance, attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy were carried out on egg yolk tempera models to discriminate the pigments. The models were irradiated with excimer KrF (248 nm) laser at different working conditions, and the effects induced on colour were related to chemical and physical modifications through the same analyses, as a function of laser parameters.It came out that the effects on the pictorial layers are always related to the modifications of the binding medium and, in addition, the laser radiation induces dehydration and transformation of iron oxides in natural earths.

Recent advances in linear and nonlinear Raman spectroscopy. Part IV

“…Pigment identification and decoration analysis of a fifth century Chinese lacquer painting screen were studied by Li et al [156] using micro-Raman and FT-IR spectroscopies. Finally, artistic yellow pigments, commonly employed from antiquity, were investigated by Acquaviva et al [157] using morphology as well as spectrophotometric and compositional analyses. In particular, SEM-EDX, attenuated total reflection (ATR)-FT-IR, and Raman spectroscopy were carried out on egg yolk tempera models to discriminate various pigments.…”