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New Materials on the Renaissance Artists' Palette

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Barbara H. Berrie  and
Louisa C. Matthew
Barbara H. Berrie
Affiliation:
Scientific Research Dept., National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC 20565
Louisa C. Matthew
Affiliation:
Dept. of Visual Arts, Union College, Schenectady, NY 12308
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Abstract

In the light of new documentary information regarding the range of materials available to sixteenth century artists, cross sections from paintings were re-examined using scanning electron microscopy - energy dispersive spectrometry. Among a variety of new materials, colored glassy pigments were found including diverse yellow glassy particles, specifically lead silicate and a glass colored by lead antimonate. These are the “yellow smalts” described in Renaissance writings on artists’ materials.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 852 , 2004 , OO2.1
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2005

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References

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