Nanoscale Probing of the Organic Binder in Artists’ Paint Layers: Organic Phases and Chemical Heterogeneity
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Understanding paint structures at the nanoscopic level can address key questions related to artistic techniques, paint formulation, and long-term preservation of artworks. This involves examining spatial chemical complexity, the formation of molecular networks, and interactions between organic and inorganic constituents. Depending on the paint preparation methods, proteins and drying oils, the most common binders in traditional artistic practices, can be integrated to produce paints with diverse structures and nanoscale chemical intricacies. In this study, we utilize atomic force microscopy-based infrared spectroscopy (AFM-IR) to investigate the spatial chemical complexity and reaction pathways of organic species in artists’ paints, including oil, tempera, and mixed-media tempera grassa . By analyzing these paints at the nanoscale, we established connections between their structural organization, chemistry, and formulation.
Institutions: University of Pisa, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Paris-Saclay, Institut de Chimie Physique, Bavarian State Painting Collections, Doerner Institut, Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Ministère de la Culture, Institut photonique d'analyse non-destructive européen des matériaux anciens
Language: English
Subfield: Archeology (arts and humanities)
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,500
OpenAlex ID: W4406787550