title: Analytical Raman spectroscopic discrimination between yellow pigments of the Renaissance.
abstract: The Renaissance represented a major advance in painting techniques, subject matter, artistic style and the use of pigments and pigment mixtures. However, most pigments in general use were still mineral-based as most organic dyes were believed to be fugitive; the historical study of artists' palettes and recipes has assumed importance for the attribution of art works to the Renaissance period. Although the application of diagnostic elemental and molecular spectroscopic techniques play vital and complementary roles in the analysis of art works, elemental techniques alone cannot definitively provide the data needed for pigment identification. The advantages and limitations of Raman spectroscopy for the definitive diagnostic characterisation of yellow pigments that were in use during the Renaissance is demonstrated here in consideration of heavy metal oxides and sulphides; these data will be compared with those obtained from analyses of synthetic yellow pigments that were available during the eighteenth and nineteenth Centuries which could have been used in unrecorded restorations of Renaissance paintings.
authors.affiliation: University Analytical Centre, Chemical & Forensic Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK. h.g.m.edwards@bradford.ac.uk
authors.forename: Howell G M
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Edwards
mesh_terms: D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000032:analysis* / Q000266:history*; D044707:Forensic Sciences / Q000379:methods; D049668:History, 15th Century; D049669:History, 16th Century; D049670:History, 17th Century; D049691:History, Medieval; D006801:Humans; D010150:Paint / Q000032:analysis* / Q000266:history*; D010151:Paintings / Q000266:history*; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents