DIAGNOSTIC EXAMINATION
Pope Pastel and collage on paper
POPE _____________________________________________________________________________
TECHNICAL
REPORT ON PASTEL AND
COLLAGE ON PAPER, SIZE 150 X 100 CM.
POPE,
IN ATTACHMENT DIAGNOSTIC
DOCUMENTATION.
Diagnostic examination
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POPE _____________________________________________________________________________
INTRODUCTION: The painting was examined with the following methods: - Ultraviolet fluorescence - Infrared reflectography using reflected light - Infrared reflectography using transmitted light - Photographic shooting with raking light - Chemical analysis of the colour in X fluorescence This examination intends to characterize the techniques of execution, the materials used and the preservation condition of the artwork (Picture 1).
Diagnostic examination
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POPE _____________________________________________________________________________
VISIBLE LIGHT Picture 1 - general view of the artwork
Diagnostic examination
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POPE _____________________________________________________________________________
Shooting with raking light points out the structure of the support, made of six glued paper item. The base is a sheet of wrapping paper as big as the entire work, i.e. size 70 x 100 cm. The paperboard in the upper part is blue while that in the lower part is yellow. On the blue paperboard, another sheet is vertically glued, size 50 x 70 cm. Finally, a white sheet of paper is cut in the shape of a human figure, while a shaped sheet of drawing paper is glued on the face (Picture 2).
PHOTOGRAPHY WITH RAKING LIGHT
Picture 2 - general view of the artwork
Diagnostic examination
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POPE _____________________________________________________________________________
Sheets differ a lot in terms of roughness and thickness: Wrapping paper is smooth and thin while paperboards and drawing paper are thick and rough. On the left, some glue residues may be observed around the head and the painted figure. Glue is transparent and rather liquid. An excess of liquid glue caused paper curling, especially visible in the shape of the body, made of a sheet of limited thickness (Picture 3).
PHOTOGRAPHY WITH RAKING LIGHT
Picture 3 - paper curling
Ultraviolet fluorescence while shooting highlighted the brightness of the paper on which the face is painted. Most of the pastel lines are easily distinguishable while, to the naked eye, they have at times homogenous backgrounds. The colour response to ultraviolet varies according to their chemical composition. Two shades of pink may be identified in the hands, which turn into purple and pinkish, respectively. Three blue shades may also be found and they remain invariably blue. Purple turns into a pinkish purple, while yellow turns into a nut brown.
Diagnostic examination
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POPE _____________________________________________________________________________
Red, black and ochre remain the same since they are visible to the naked eye. It is possible to identify dotted backgrounds mainly situated on arms and face that, even if poorly visible to the naked eye, are darker to ultraviolet (Picture 4a - Picture 4b).
VISIBLE LIGHT Picture 4a detail of the work
ULTRAVIOLET FLUORESCENCE
Picture 4b shade response of colours.
Ultraviolet points out glue residues already identified in raking light and colour scratches on the face (Picture 5).
Diagnostic examination
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POPE _____________________________________________________________________________
ULTRAVIOLET FLUORESCENCE
Picture 5 - colour scratches on the face
The infrared reflectography using transmitted light visually isolates all the dark lines defining the face. Lines are particularly visible since they contain charcoal material that is significantly opaque under the infrared light. No visible lines may be related to a preparatory drawing in pencil. The artwork was then probably made directly with pastel (Picture 6).
Diagnostic examination
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POPE _____________________________________________________________________________
TRANSMITTED INFRARED
Picture 6a - face detail
The reflectography with reflected light shows again the black lines of the face isolated from the painting context and highlights the ochre lines defining the vestment contour. Pastel lines on the vestment and the pink shade of the hands are, on the other hand, almost transparent to infrared radiation (Picture 7).
Diagnostic examination
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POPE _____________________________________________________________________________
INFRARED REFLECTOGRAPHY
Picture 7 - general view of the artwork
Diagnostic examination
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POPE _____________________________________________________________________________
Its signature is perfectly integrated in the artwork on all wavelengths used during the examination. To exclude any difference between the painting material used for the signature and the same blue shade used in the painting, a comparison test was performed among the pigments at chemical and inorganic level. The material comparison confirmed the compatibility detected in multispectral analyses, as it is clear from the overlap of XRF spectra (Picture 8).
EXAMINATION WITH X FLUORESCENCE (XRF) Picture 8 - Overlapping comparison between the XRF spectra of samples 1 (in black) and 2 (in red). The two diagrams are similar.
The common elements, therefore present in both samples, are Calcium (Ca) and Titanium (Ti). There are also small quantities of Iron (Fe) and Silica (Si), while just in sample 2 there are minor quantities of Sulphur (S) and Chromium (Cr). Argon (Ar) is detected because it is present in the air and therefore it is not referred to the painting material. According to such data, we have the presence of titanium white that was the most widely used white pigment by all artists in the Twentieth Century. Calcium and Silica may be found in paper as mineral load (Calcium Carbonate and Silica) but the relevant Calcium quantities may be referred to a blue colour made by an organic dye (one phthalocyanine or one anthraquinone) fixed on Calcium Carbonate. The small iron quantities may be related to marks of Prussian blue (Ferric Ferricyanide).
Diagnostic examination
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POPE _____________________________________________________________________________
CONCLUSIONS The artwork is made of six glued paper items. The types of paper used include white wrapping paper, bristol boards and drawing paper. The sheet of drawing paper depicting the face was glued beforehand to the shape of the figure and subsequently painted, as you may realize from the fact that colour was spread from one sheet to the other in a continuous way (Picture 9).
VISIBLE LIGHT Picture 9 - continuity of painting on the two papers of the shape
The painted shape was then cut and glued to the support. Cutting was carried out in a perfunctory way, thus removing portions of painted paper in some areas.
Diagnostic examination
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POPE _____________________________________________________________________________
VISIBLE LIGHT
Picture 10 - cutting line
The examination did not show any preparatory drawing in pencil or charcoal. The figure contours and the lines defining the face are therefore directly made with colours. From a technical point of view, the work was drawn starting from the blue lines outlining the body and the face features. The body and the vestment of the figure are painted in a very simple way, by using colour dotted backgrounds bent both to the right and to the left. The dotted line on the arms and on the face, exclusively visible to ultraviolet, may be related to the use of a light pastel to shade colours. The face was created in a more accurate way, by overlapping different spreading of colour. Painting material is partially scratched and etched.
Diagnostic examination
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POPE _____________________________________________________________________________
Generally speaking, the examination of the painting technique highlights a strong immediacy and rapidity of execution that can be identified as follows: First, with regard to the edges of the painted shape, this is often cut in an imprecise way and glued by staining all support sheets. Moreover, colours are firmly spread on the paper, sometimes applied with a strong pressure, especially on the face to the extent they become thick and lumpy by mixing different colours in just one paste. Its signature is perfectly integrated in the artwork under a chemical view point and in response to multispectral analyses. As for preservation, aside the folding marks due to its handling, there are no signs of damage or painting restoration: the artwork is in excellent preservation conditions. Campogalliano, 16th June 2016 Davide Bussolari
Diagnostic examination
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