Title: A nondestructive study of the identification of pigments on monuments by colorimetry

Authors: E. Cheilakou, M. Kartsonaki, M. Koui, P. Callet

Addresses: Materials Science and Engineering Section, School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Iroon Polytechniou 9, 15780 Zografou, Athens, Greece. ' Arcelor Purchasing Energy Department, Arcelor-Mittal Company, 19 Avenue de la Liberte, L-2390, Luxembourg. ' Materials Science and Engineering Section, School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Iroon Polytechniou 9, 15780 Zografou, Athens, Greece. ' Applied Mathematics and Systems Laboratory, Ecole Centrale Paris, Grande Voie des Vignes F-92295, Chatenay Malabry, Paris, France

Abstract: The aim of this work was the identification of the pigments of the Philippe Dagobert monument (1222-1232) by spectrophotometry (Visible (VIS) region). Based on the bibliographic information about the pigments used in the Middle Ages, reference coloured samples were prepared in the laboratory. The study was based on the comparative analysis of VIS reflectance spectra, corresponding to laboratory measurements, with the in situ measurements. The obtained results allowed a primary identification of the pigments: the blue stimuli came from a mixture of azurite and malachite, the green from a mixture of equal concentrations of malachite and green earth, while the red and yellow were obtained from red and yellow ochre, respectively, presenting signs of ageing. Finally, it was concluded from these measurements that VIS reflectance spectroscopy could be considered an appropriate nondestructive method for the investigation and characterisation of the chromatic identity of monuments when no sampling is allowed.

Keywords: artefacts; pigments; nondestructive identification; VIS reflectance spectroscopy; Middle Ages; momuments; Philippe Dagobert monument; nondestructive evaluation; NDE; chromatic identity.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMMP.2009.028437

International Journal of Microstructure and Materials Properties, 2009 Vol.4 No.1, pp.112 - 127

Published online: 17 Sep 2009 *

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