Historical Painting Techniques, Materials, and Studio Practice

scanning electron microscopy I energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDX)

analysis indicated a low oxygen peak, which may indicate that a mixture of

lead dioxide and lead sulfide is present here. In addition, cinnabar has altered

to its dark fo rm, metacinnabar, as shown in Sample 37, taken from the dark­

ened cheek patch of a prophet on the vault.

Acknowledgments

I am grateful to the Leverhulme Trust for their generosity in funding the five-year

study, and to the Skaggs Foundation for their support of the conservation program

at Winchester. Particular thanks are also due to G. Cressey and P. Tandy of the Natural

History Museum, and to David Park, Sharon Cather, and Robyn Pender of the

Conservation of Wall Painting Department, Courtauld Institute of Art.

Table 1. Samples Jrom the east wall oj the Holy Sepulchre Chapel, Winchester Cathedral

Sample No:

3

Location and Description

E. wall, upper tier, S. side, olive green

background to left of Nicodemus' foot.

Original Polychromy

• vivianite 20llm


• natural ultramarine 30llm

Indications of binding medialPigment

alterations and other additions

• vivianite has partially altered from blue to yellow
  ____ ���--�--��--��--�--��.I�;m�e�p�I���ter�w��;il�ic�ha�r�ooal��bla�ck�;n�cl�us�;o�n;s=.^40 �O���m��������������--�----------__ �
  �- E. wall, upper tier, S. side, red background • cinnabar in red lead matrix with a fe w particles of natural ultramarine • calcium carbonate crust on surface

5

6

7

8

9

10

21

22

23

24

25

26

adjacent to cross, red over blue. 220J,lm

E. wall, upper tier, N. side, uppermost edge of

Joseph of Aramathea's hat, grey surface over red

pigment on blue.

E. wall, upper tier, N. side, Joseph of

Aramathea's red drapery, translucent dark red

shadow just below beard.

E. wall, upper tier, Christ's right fOOl, mid-dark

flesh tone.

E. wall, upper tier, Nicodemus' pink drapery, at

hip level, pale pink with highlight.

E. wall, lower tier, N. side, Joseph of

Aramathea's red robe, darkest red tone at upper­

most edge.

E. wall, lower tier, N. side, Christ's proper hand,

flesh painting with pink drop of blood on

surface.

E. wall, lower tier, Harrowing a/ Hell, deep

purple shadow in drapery.

E. wall, lower tier, Harrowing of Hell, green

outer drapery (query modem retouching).

E. wall, lower tier, lower edge of sarcophagus,

deep purple over yellow.

E. wall, lower tier, Christ's loin cloth, yellow

shadow over deep yellow.

E. wall, upper tier, Magdalene's drapery, hem at

calf level, yellow & white bole over red/purple

and black paint layers.

E. wall, upper tier, Nicodemus' cloak, blue and

white vair lining, green area over blue.

• natural ultramarine 30llm


• cinnabar IOllm


• natural ultramarine and charcoal black in a lime white matrix 10llm


• lime plaster with charcoal black inclusions 250�m


• haematite 20�m


• yellow iron oxide 2�m


• trace calcium carbonate


• cinnabar 551 lm
  
  
  • lime plaster! OO�m
  
  
  • red, yeUow and green iron oxides and charcoal black 10�m
  
  
  
  


• green iron oxide 45 �m


• lime white combined with yellow iron oxide IOOllm
  
  
  • yellow iron oxide 25).101
  
  
  • red iron earth 50).1m
  
  
  • trace I ime plaster
  
  
  
  


• red lake with a trace of ultramarine in a calcium carbonate matrix
  100).1m. The trace of calcium sulphate present in the layer may
  represent the substrate of the lake pigment, now fa ded.
  
  
  • plaster substrate with charcoal black 80).1m
  
  
  • cinnabar 30l1m
  
  
  
  


• yellow iron oxide IOl1m
  
  
  • plaster substrate with a few charcoal black inclusions 200l1m
  
  
  • cinnabar 20l1m
  
  
  • trace yellow iron oxide
  
  
  • green iron oxide 4511m
  
  
  • lime white with yellow iron oxide particles 100l1m
  
  
  • lime white, yellow iron oxide and charcoal black 60l1m
  
  
  • natural ultramarine, charcoal black and lime white 90l1m
  
  
  
  

• lime white (^40) l1m

• plaster substrate 200Jlm


• charcoal black, redlbrown iron oxides with a few particles of cinnabar
  80/1m


• yeJlow iron oxide combined with lime white 90l1m


• plaster substrate l20/1m


• yellow iron oxide and umber with a few charcoal black particles 30/1m


• plaster substrate 100)1m


• resinous layer 50)1m


• white layer (calcium carbonate + protein) 30)1m


• resinous layer lOO).lm


• white layer (calcium carbonate + protein) 20/1m


• resinous layer 100llm


• vivianite in calcium carbonate matrix 90l1m


• natural ultramarine in lime matrix 100J.lm
  
  
  • red lake pigment has faded
  
  
  • cobalt green (CoO'nZnO)
    
    
    • a proteinaceous binding medium is present in the white layers
    
    
    • vivianite has partially altered from blue to yellow
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  

(^27) motif E. wall, from north central decorative side, impasto border, motif 4th in circular orange
and white.

• plaster substrate 300).lm
  
  
  • red lead combined with lead white and calcium carbonate with a trace
    of proteinaceous binding medium present 200).lm
    
    
    • translucent crust of calcium carbonate combined with calcium sulphate on
      surface
      28
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  

29

30

31

32

E. wall, upper tier, Nicodemus' right proper leg,

brilliant rich red highlight over red lead and

yellow earth.

E. wall, upper tier, wavy ground between

Nicodemus' legs, deep red brown over pink.

E. wall, lower tier, censing angel, halo. trace

gilding on bole over brown paint layer and red

lead.

E. wall, lowertier, N. side, angel's drapery,

green over yellow near hem.

E. wall, upper tier, N. side, grey/green

background between legs of Joseph of

Aramathea.

• carbon black 10/1m • a proteinaceous binding medium is present in the red paint layer


• cinnabar combined with red lead 50).lm
  
  
  • red lead IOO/1m
  
  
  • red iron oxide 15J.lm • white crust on surface
  
  
  
  


• cinnabar 10).lm
  
  
  • plaster substrate/ground 400/1m
  
  
  • underdrawing, red iron oxide and cinnabar IOOllm
  
  
  • gold leaf5/1m
  
  
  • resinous mordant 20J.lm
    
    
    • white crust and trace pigment on surface
    
    
    • a proteinaceous binding medium is present in the white layers
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • white layer (calcium carbonate + protein) 10/1m
  
  
  • dark resinous layer 15 /1m
  
  
  • white layer (calcium carbonate + protein) 20�m
  
  
  • dark resinous layer 25).lm
  
  
  • green iron oxide combined with some charcoal black particles 50/1m • trace white crust combined with a few charcoal black particles
  
  
  • yellow iron oxide 75�m
  
  
  • yellow iron oxide combined with lime white 180/1m
  
  
  • plaster substrate with charcoal black particles 120/1m
  
  
  • charcoal black with a few red and yellow iron oxide particles 80).lm
  
  
  • plaster substrate 200llm
  
  
  
  

The table gives the location where each sample was taken, the sample number. and the stratigraphy of the various layers from the top down,

with the thickness of each layer in microns (p m).

Howard 101