title: Analysis of a Brazilian baroque sculpture using Raman spectroscopy and FT-IR.
abstract: In this study, samples were taken from the sculpture of Our Lady of Sorrows and analyzed by Raman spectroscopy and FT-IR. This sculpture has been dated to the early eighteenth century. Samples were also examined using optical microscopy and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS). Based on chemical analysis, the pigments vermilion [HgS], massicot [PbO] and azurite [Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2]were found in the sculpture polychrome. The results indicate that the green polychrome of the sculpture's mantle comes from the blending of massicot and azurite. Because the literature reports that the mantle of the Our Lady of Sorrows sculpture is blue, the mixing of these pigments results from a production error. The results also indicate the presence of Au in the sculpture, which indicates the originality of the piece. The results from this study helped restorers to choose the appropriate procedures for intervening in the sculpture and contributed to the knowledge about the manufacturing process of Brazilian baroque sculptures.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Instrumentação e Simulação Computacional, LISCOMP/IFRJ-CPAR, 26600-000 Paracambi, Brazil. Electronic address: renato.freitas@ifrj.edu.br.
authors.forename: Renato P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Freitas
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Instrumentação e Simulação Computacional, LISCOMP/IFRJ-CPAR, 26600-000 Paracambi, Brazil.
authors.forename: Iohanna M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Instrumentação Nuclear, COPPE/UFRJ, 21941-972 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Cristiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Calza
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Instrumentação e Simulação Computacional, LISCOMP/IFRJ-CPAR, 26600-000 Paracambi, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Instrumentação e Simulação Computacional, LISCOMP/IFRJ-CPAR, 26600-000 Paracambi, Brazil.
authors.forename: Valter S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Felix
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Instrumentação e Simulação Computacional, LISCOMP/IFRJ-CPAR, 26600-000 Paracambi, Brazil.
authors.forename: Douglas S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Instrumentação e Simulação Computacional, LISCOMP/IFRJ-CPAR, 26600-000 Paracambi, Brazil.
authors.forename: André R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Pimenta
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Instrumentação e Simulação Computacional, LISCOMP/IFRJ-CPAR, 26600-000 Paracambi, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ronaldo V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica Celso Suckow da Fonseca - Uned-NG, 26041-271 Nova Iguaçu, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcelo O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Instrumentação Nuclear, COPPE/UFRJ, 21941-972 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ricardo T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Lopes
keywords: FT-IR; Pigments; Polychrome baroque sculpture; Raman spectroscopy