Published November 2, 2009 | Version v1
Miscellaneous Open

Properties and characterization of the Sfumato's materials

Creators

Description

The sfumato technique of Leonardo da Vinci allows to achieve a smoky aspect, by shadows and light effects... For the creation of flesh tones, Leonardo da Vinci superimposes glazes, which are very thin translucent layers, with low pigment content and rich in organic medium. Old treatises and books of recipes record information on this technique. Reconstructions of medium recipes, followed by the study of their rheological and mechanical properties, allow a better understanding of glazes formulation. Criteria defined for the paint industry can be used as clues to find the old masters recipes. Painting cross sections analysis helps us to know the painting layers formulation by Leonard da Vinci and his contemporaries. Combination of two ion beam techniques (PIXE and BS) allows us to obtain the binder/pigment proportion, unknown information until now. Several paintings of Leonardo da Vinci were analysed quantitatively by X-Ray fluorescence spectroscopy. The use of differential X-Ray attenuation can allow to model the various layers in order to know the composition and thickness of each layer. (author)

Abstract (French)

La technique du sfumato, de Leonard de Vinci, permet, par un jeu subtil des ombres et des lumieres, de creer un effet vaporeux 'sans lignes, ni contours, a la facon de la fumee'. Leonard de Vinci, pour la realisation des ombres des carnations, superpose des glacis, fines couches de peintures translucides, composes d'un pigment sombre et tres riches en liant organique. Les livres de recettes et traites de peinture anciens constituent une premiere source d'informations sur cette technique. La reconstitution de certaines recettes de liants suivie par la caracterisation de leurs proprietes rheologiques et mecaniques a permis de mieux comprendre la formulation des glacis. Les criteres definis par l'industrie des peintures peuvent etre utilises comme autant d'indices pour retrouver les recettes des peintres des siecles passees. L'analyse de prelevements peut apporter certaines informations sur la formulation des couches picturales chez Leonard de Vinci et ses contemporains. La combinaison de deux methodes d'analyse par faisceau d'ions (PIXE et BS) permet d'obtenir la proportion liant-pigment d'une couche de peinture, information jusqu'alors non accessible. Enfin, des oeuvres de Leonard de Vinci ont ete analysees de facon quantitative par spectrometrie de fluorescence des rayons X. En considerant l'attenuation des rayons X par absorption, il est possible de calculer la composition et l'epaisseur des couches a partir d'une modelisation de la stratigraphie de l'oeuvre. (auteur)

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Additional details

Additional titles

Original title (French)
Proprietes physico-chimiques et caracterisation des materiaux du sfumato

Publishing Information

Imprint Pagination
309 p.
Report number
FRNC-TH--11359

INIS

Country of Publication
France
Country of Input or Organization
France
INIS RN
52006932
Subject category
S46: INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY; S36: MATERIALS SCIENCE;
Resource subtype / Literary indicator
Thesis
Descriptors DEI
ATTENUATION; CULTURAL OBJECTS; GLAZES; LI-DRIFTED SI DETECTORS; PIXE ANALYSIS; QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS; SENSITIVITY; THICKNESS; X-RAY FLUORESCENCE ANALYSIS; X-RAY TUBES
Descriptors DEC
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS; COATINGS; DIMENSIONS; ELECTRON TUBES; EQUIPMENT; LI-DRIFTED DETECTORS; MEASURING INSTRUMENTS; NONDESTRUCTIVE ANALYSIS; RADIATION DETECTORS; SEMICONDUCTOR DETECTORS; SI SEMICONDUCTOR DETECTORS; X-RAY EMISSION ANALYSIS; X-RAY EQUIPMENT

Optional Information

Notes
172 refs.; Available from the INIS Liaison Officer for France, see the INIS website for current contact and E-mail addresses