Botticelli-style tempera portrait on tile: Imaging and specific on-site spectroscopic analysis and cleaning examination

Year: 2023

Authors: Dal Fovo A., Sepiacci L., Innocenti S., Striova J., Fontana R.

Autors Affiliation: CNR, CNR, Natl Inst Opt, INO, Largo E Fermi 6, I-50125 Florence, Italy; Univ Florence, Polo Sci, Viale Idee 23, I-50019 Florence, Italy.

Abstract: In this work, a tempera painting of uncertain attribution from the Uffizi Galleries was studied. The paint-ing, which portraits a man with apparently Botticellian features, was probably created by one of the most skilled forgers of the early 20th century, Umberto Giunti. He used a flat tile as a support, covered with preparatory layers emulating a wall painting. To shed light on the authorship of the painting, it was crucial to investigate its composing materials, as well as the execution technique and the state of conser-vation. To this end, non-invasive spectroscopic and imaging optical techniques were applied. Specifically, VIS-NIR multispectral reflectography was used to reveal the presence of possible preparatory drawings, pentimenti and overpaintings. Raman and Fibre Optics Reflectance Spectroscopies allowed identifying the pigments used by the artist. Finally, colour variations due to the cleaning procedure were documented in order to provide a support for an informed restoration process.(c) 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Masson SAS on behalf of Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR).This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ )

Journal/Review: JOURNAL OF CULTURAL HERITAGE

Volume: 66      Pages from: 229  to: 235

More Information: This research was supported by IPERION HS – Integrating Platforms for the European Research Infrastructure ON Heritage Science Project (G.A. 871034) , and PNRR H2IOSC (Humanities and Cultural Heritage Italian Open Science Cloud) Project (IR0000029) , CUP_B63C22000730005, funded by Next Generation EU. The contents reflect only the authors’ view and the European Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains. The Raman equipment (Bravo, Bruker) was acquired through SHINE project funding (Strengthening the Italian Nodes of E-RIHS, Avviso 424/2018 dell’Azione II.1 PON R&I 2014-2020, DD n. 461 del 14-03-2019, PIR01_00016, CUP B27E19000030007) .
KeyWords: Reflectance imaging spectroscopy; Raman spectroscopy; Cleaning; Botticelli; Forgery; Tile
DOI: 10.1016/j.culher.2023.11.023

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