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On the Use of the Unusual Green Pigment Brochantite (Cu4(SO4)(OH)6) in the 16th-Century Portuguese-Flemish Paintings Attributed to The Master Frei Carlos Workshop

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 February 2015

Sara Valadas ,
Rita V. Freire ,
Ana Cardoso ,
José Mirão ,
Cristina B. Dias ,
Peter Vandenabeele  and
António Candeias
Sara Valadas
Affiliation:
Évora University, HERCULES Laboratory, School of Sciences and Technology, Largo Marquês de Marialva 8, 7000-809 Évora, Portugal
Rita V. Freire
Affiliation:
Évora University, HERCULES Laboratory, School of Sciences and Technology, Largo Marquês de Marialva 8, 7000-809 Évora, Portugal Évora University, CHAIA- Centro de História de Arte e Investigação Artística, Largo Marquês de Marialva 8, 7000-809 Évora, Portugal
Ana Cardoso
Affiliation:
Évora University, HERCULES Laboratory, School of Sciences and Technology, Largo Marquês de Marialva 8, 7000-809 Évora, Portugal
José Mirão
Affiliation:
Évora University, HERCULES Laboratory, School of Sciences and Technology, Largo Marquês de Marialva 8, 7000-809 Évora, Portugal
Cristina B. Dias
Affiliation:
Évora University, HERCULES Laboratory, School of Sciences and Technology, Largo Marquês de Marialva 8, 7000-809 Évora, Portugal
Peter Vandenabeele
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology, Ghent University, Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 35, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
António Candeias*
Affiliation:
Évora University, HERCULES Laboratory, School of Sciences and Technology, Largo Marquês de Marialva 8, 7000-809 Évora, Portugal Jose de Figueiredo Lab., General Directorate of Cultural Heritage, Rua das Janelas Verdes 37, 1300-001 Lisbon, Portugal
*
*Corresponding author.[email protected]
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Abstract

This paper reports an unusual green pigment, brochantite (Cu4(SO4)(OH)6), on 16th-century Portuguese-Flemish paintings, attributed to the Master Frei Carlos workshop. This green mineral is usually identified as an impurity or alteration product in the green pigments verdigris (Cu(CH3COO)2nCu(OH)2) or malachite (CuCO3 Cu(OH)2). However, after thorough investigation with a broad range of analytical techniques, it became clear that, in this case, brochantite was applied as a pigment. The abundance, pigment granulometry, and pigment morphology suggest intentional use by this Portuguese-Flemish Master as a natural pigment rather than its accidental use as an alteration product. This seems to be a distinguishable feature to other painters (Flemish and Portuguese) working in Portugal at the beginning of the 16th century.

The multi-analytical study of these easel paintings was first performed by physical imaging techniques and material characterization was carried out by optical microscopy, micro-Fourier-transform infrared-spectroscopy, micro-Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry, and micro-X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD).

Keywords

microanalysiseasel paintingsgreen pigmentbrochantite
Type
Materials Applications
Information
Microscopy and Microanalysis , Volume 21 , Issue 2 , April 2015 , pp. 518 - 525
Copyright
© Microscopy Society of America 2015 

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