Documental Survey of Project Prim’art - Portugal Rediscovering Mural Art: Historical and Scientific Study Of Archiepiscopal Évora

The importance of documentary research for art history studies in Cultural Heritage is unquestionable to ascertain the date of a masterpiece, confirmation of authorship and acknowledgement or dismissal of its historical theories. Most of the research pertaining to paintings and painters has been conducted by art historians, but what kind of novel information can be obtained from the historians´ point of view? This was the main goal of the survey conducted into the lives of painters who have worked over 400 years ago in the town of Évora during the so-called “golden age” of mural paintings in Southern Portugal and described in this paper. Furthermore, this paper presents a brief overview of the methodology used and shows that it is possible to reconcile the computer language of today with the language of notaries and witnesses of the “De genere” inquiry process of the 16th century

As pinturas a cal nos Tratados e Manuais Técnicos da Construção Civil em Portugal entre 1880 e 1931 – Uma revisão histórica’, Conservar Património

A review of the lime painting technique is made based on five Treatises and Construction Technical Manuals that were published in Portugal between 1880 and 1930 and were or became a reference in technical and professional education. The goal is to document the history of one of the most popular types of painting in Portuguese Building Heritage until about 1960, whose testimonies still remaining in historic centers should be studied for the purposes of registration and rehabilitation works. This survey enabled to ascertain details of the executants, of the materials and the know-how which are still little known today and to highlight the paradigm shift from what was once considered a type of coarse painting that only gave rudimentary and monotonous tone

Gilders and painters-gilders in the Golden Age of Évora

At the end of the 15th century, Évora was a cosmopolitan town whose importance was increasing in cultural and artistic terms. Throughout the 16th century, and until the rst half of 17th century, the town experienced a golden age, welcoming many Portuguese and foreign artists, who were closely following the royal court. Among them there were painters, gilders and woodcarvers, responding to the growing demand for work. This paper provides an insight into the lives of some of these men from the 16th to the early 18th century. Through a documental survey, details of the gilded production, patrons and labor organization are presented, along with data on the personal and social daily life of these artists

Preliminary Studies of the Effects of Nanoconsolidants on Mural Paint Layers with a Lack of Cohesion

This paper reports the preliminary results of a comparative analysis of the effects of three consolidants on the color appearance of fresco paint layers affected by lack of cohesion. In vitro assays were performed with a laboratory-synthesized nanolime, a commercial nanolime (CaLoSiL® IP25), and a commercial acrylic resin (PrimalTM SF-016 ER®) applied by nebulization over two sets of replicas of buon and lime fresco painted with red and yellow ochres and smalt pigments. The paint layers were surveyed before, one week, and one month after treatment with technical photography in the visible range (Vis) and ultraviolet-induced fluorescence in the visible range (UVF), as well as optical microscopy (OM-Vis), colorimetry, spectrophotometry, and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). Experimental work also comprised the synthesis of nanolime and its characterization by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and thermogravimetry analysis (TGA-DTG). The results show no alteration on pigments’ spectral curves and elemental composition. The increase in the CIEL* coordinate and ∆E color variation noticed after the treatment with the nanolimes is associated with a white haze formation on the paint surfaces. The impact on color appearance is higher on the darker tones.Fundação para a Ciência e a Technologia FCT, Portugal (the Portuguese national funding agency for science, research and technology): UIDB/04449/2020; UIDP/04449/2020; DL 57/2016/CP1372/CT0013; DL/57/2016/CP1338. EMJMD ARCHMAT, co-founded by Erasmus+ program under GA N. 2018-1468/001-00

Exploratory Analytical Study of a 20th century Portuguese Mural Painting by Julio Resende (1917-2011)

This paper unveils for the first time the technical and material features of the mural painting entitled Pentecost’s, executed by the Portuguese artist Julio Resende in 1955. The painting depicting twelve Apostles covers the altarpiece of a small church in the countryside of Évora (southern Portugal) and it was rediscovered in 2013 by art historians. The research was carried out with both non-invasive and micro-destructive techniques. In situ examination included technical photography in visible (Vis/Vis-RAK) and in infrared (NIR) light range, ultraviolet induced visible fluorescence (UVF), portable optical microscopy, visible spectrophotometry and handheld energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (hXRF). Further analysis on paint layers micro-samples were undertaken by dark field optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDS) and micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (μ-FTIR). According to the acquired data, the mural was executed in a fresco technique (true and most likely lime fresco). Full size cartoons and handmade sketches were used for transferring the composition to the wall. No traces of organic binder were found with the analytical setup and the analysis of paint layers revealed the use of cobalt blue, a wide range of ochres, chromium green, green earth and barium white. The use of chrome orange and cadmium-based pigments are hypothesized

An Insight into the Green Deteriorated Paint Layers at the Maritime Station of Alcântara (Lisbon): an Archeometric Study

This study reports the first results of the analysis carried out in 2022 on deteriorated green paint layers from the mural paintings made by Almada Negreiros at the Maritime Station of Alcantara, in Lisbon (Portugal). These murals painted in 1945 are one of the most emblematic painting sets done by the modernist artist and exhibit a bright chromatic palette that displays different states of conservation, with the green paint layers particularly damaged, showing severe flaking and powdering in the lightest shades. To understand the decay phenomenon, in-situ and laboratory analyses were done in an attempt to identify the green chromophores, the painting technique, and the decay agents causing the visible degradation. The analytical setup comprised in-situ technical photography (Vis, Vis-Rak, and UVF), handheld optical microscopy (h-OM), handheld energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (h-EDXRF), colorimetry, and spectrophotometry in the visible light range. Microsamples of selected paint layers from deteriorated and stable green areas were collected and further analysed in the laboratory by optical microscopy in visible and ultraviolet modes (OM-UV-Vis), variable pressure scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive spectrometry (VP-SEM-EDS), micro-X-ray diffraction (μ-XRD), micro-Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (μ-FT-IR) and micro-Raman spectroscopy. Results show the presence of both natural and industrial synthetic organic pigments, such as green earths and PG8, used alone or in mixtures with other chromophores (e.g., Fe-based yellow and red pigments, bone and carbon black, ultramarine blue, and the synthetic green PG1 and the yellow PY1). Concerning the decay phenomena, the main hypothesis for the powdering and flaking of the green paint layers is the activity of calcium sulphates (e.g., gypsum), which probably originated from both intrinsic and extrinsic sources and whose presence was found to be widespread in all the microsamples analyzed

Microscopy and Microanalysis of an Extreme Case of Salt and Biodegradation in 17th Century Wall Paintings

The present study characterizes the main deterioration mechanisms affecting the early 17th frescoes of Casa de Fresco, the only known example in Portugal of a semi-underground leisure room richly decorated with a balcony over a water well. Frescoes from the vault are at risk due to salt weathering and biodeterioration. The aim of the research was identification of the deterioration materials, determination of their origin, and their effect on the frescoes before future intervention. Scanning electron microscopy with an energy-dispersive X-ray detector (SEM-EDS) was used to determine salt morphology and microanalysis. The mineralogical characterization was performed by X-ray powder diffraction, complemented with µ-Raman and µ-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Biological assessment was evaluated with optical microscopy and SEM-EDS. Bacterial and fungal isolation and identification were performed using standard culture media and methods according to Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology and from the Compendium of Soil Fungi. The results show that Ca and Ca-Mg carbonates from the paint renderings are the predominant salt species affecting the site. Bacterial strains from the genera Bacillus and Pseudomonas and fungal strains from the Cladosporium spp. and Penicillium spp. were isolated in the salt formations, within and between the mortar layers. Azurite, malachite, and smalt paint layers are the most affected by the weathering conditions

‘Understanding the influence of microbial contamination on colour alteration of pigments used in wall paintings – The case of red and yellow ochres and ultramarine blue

This article reports biocolonization assays carried out on yellow and red ochres and ultramarine blue pigments. These pigments have been most commonly used in traditional limewash of heritage buildings from southern Portugal (Alentejo) and, in the case of the yellow and red ochres, also in historical decorative wall paintings since Roman times. The research aim was to assess the potential role played by microorganisms in colour alterations observed in indoor and outdoor paint layers for conservation purposes.The assays accomplished several microorganisms previously isolated from degraded wall paintings with signs of biocontamination. The results show that apart from the clear physical stress induced in paint layers by the biometabolic activity, filamentous fungi, yeast, and bacteria are capable of inducing discoloration (in particular, the fungus Aspergillus niger). Raman analysis corroborates their active role in painting discolouration. This methodology, applied to bioprocesses, can be used as noninvasive methodology to signal microbial involvement

Calcium sulfate fillers and binders in Portuguese 15th and 16th centuries: Ground layers from a family painting workshop — Study by multianalytical spectroscopic techniques

This study presents results on a developed methodology to characterize ground layers in Portuguese workshops. In this work a set of altarpieces of the 15th and 16th centuries, assigned to Coimbra painting workshop was studied, overall the masters Vicente Gil (doc. Coimbra 1498–1525), Manuel Vicente (doc. Coimbra 1521–1530) and Bernardo Manuel (act. c. 1559–94), father, son and grandson, encompassing from late gothic to mannerist periods. The aim of the study is to compare ground layers, fillers and binders of Coimbra workshop, and to correlate their characteristics to understand the technical evolution of this family of painters, using complementary microscopic techniques. The cross-sections from the groups of paintings were examined by optical microscopy and the results were integrated through the analysis obtained by μ-X–ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X–ray Spectrometry, μ-confocal Raman and occasionally with μ-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy imaging. Ground layers are of calcium sulfate, present as gesso grosso (mainly anhydrite with small amounts of gypsum) in the first and last phases of the workshop and gesso mate (mainly gypsum with small amounts of anhydrite) in an intermediate period. Binders have protein and oleic characteristics

On the Two Working Palettes of Almada Negreiros at DN Building in Lisbon (1939–1940): First Analytical Approach and Insight on the Use of Cd Based Pigments

This paper reports the first analytical approach carried out on two working palettes by Portuguese modernist master Almada Negreiros, found in 1991 behind old wood cabinets at the DN building in Lisbon. This is the only known occasion Almada left behind the color experiments done before starting to paint in the nearby walls and as such, it is a unique opportunity to analyze the materials and painting techniques that were originally used. The analytical setup comprised in loco technical photography in Vis, UVF and NIR; p-OM, spectrophotometry in Vis and h-EDXRF, complemented by OM-Vis, µ-FT-IR and VP-SEM-EDS of painting micro-samples and pigments in powder form. Preliminary results suggested the use of fresco painting technique and revealed some technical details, such as the use of a coarse lime sand finishing mortar mixed with natural vegetable fibers, and the extensive use of cadmium-based pigments that were not commonly used (or even recommended) in an alkaline environment. The Cd pigments were used alone or in mixtures with Fe based pigments in the warm hues and with cobalt and ultramarine blue pigments in some green paint layers. No clear evidence of organic materials that could have been used as binders was detecte