Issue 13, 2019

Unravelling the spatial dependency of the complex solid-state chemistry of Pb in a paint micro-sample from Rembrandt's Homer using XRD-CT

Abstract

The surface of many Old Master paintings has been affected by the appearance of whitish lead-rich deposits, which are often difficult to fully characterise, thereby hindering conservation. A paint micro-sample from Rembrandt's Homer was imaged using X-ray Diffraction Computed Tomography (XRD-CT) in order to understand the evolving solid-state Pb chemistry from the painting surface and beneath. The surface crust was identified as a complex mixture of lead sulfates. From the S : Pb ratios throughout the paint layer, we can conclude that S is from an external source in the form of SO2, and that the nature of Pb–SO4 product is dependent on the degree of diffusion/absorption of SO2 into the paint layers.

Graphical abstract: Unravelling the spatial dependency of the complex solid-state chemistry of Pb in a paint micro-sample from Rembrandt's Homer using XRD-CT

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Communication
Submitted
06 Dec 2018
Accepted
15 Jan 2019
First published
25 Jan 2019
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Chem. Commun., 2019,55, 1931-1934

Unravelling the spatial dependency of the complex solid-state chemistry of Pb in a paint micro-sample from Rembrandt's Homer using XRD-CT

S. W. T. Price, A. Van Loon, K. Keune, A. D. Parsons, C. Murray, A. M. Beale and J. F. W. Mosselmans, Chem. Commun., 2019, 55, 1931 DOI: 10.1039/C8CC09705D

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