Page - 209 - in The Vienna Genesis - Material analysis and conservation of a Late Antique illuminated manuscript on purple parchment

Hofmann, Rabitsch, Malissa, Aceto, Uhlir, Griesser, Calà, Agostino, Fenoglio 209 Colour Pigments Painters Folios, pages Lead white, indigo, ultramarine blue, Egyptian blue D, E f 15–16 (p 29–32), f 17–18 (p 33–36) Lead white, indigo F f 19–22 (p 37–44) Lead white, indigo, ultramarine blue, azurite F, G f 19–22 (p 37–44), f 23–24, (p 45–48) Black Carbon black A, B, C, F f 1–8 (p 1–16), f 9–10 (p 17–20), f 11–14 (p 21–28), f 19–22 (p 37–44) Iron gall ink D f 15–16 (p 29–32) Carbon black, iron gall ink A, B, E f 1–8 (p 1–16), f 9–10 (p 17–20), f 17–18 (p 33–36) Carbon black, brown earth pigment F, G f 19–22 (p 37–44), f 23–24 (p 45–48) Gold Gold A, D, F, G f 1–8 (p 1–16), f 15–16 (p 29–32), f 19–22 (p 37–44), f 23–24 (p 45–48) Palette of Painter A: folios 1–8, pages 1–16 Painter A illustrated the biblical text from the fall of Adam and Eve in paradise to Isaac and Rebecca in the Philistine city of Gerar (Genesis 3, 4–13 to 26, 1–11). Painter A used ultramarine blue, obtained from lapis lazuli, as blue pigment. Ultramarine blue was often mixed with lead white to obtain different shades. The painter usually worked with three shades. Highlights were added in lead white and the black contours in carbon black were applied at the end on top of the blue layers. XRF and FORS confirmed the presence of ultramarine blue on folios 1–8, pages 1–16. The presence of aluminium (Al) and silicon (Si) on the XRF spectrum (Fig. 1) indicates ultramarine blue (Na7Al6Si6O24S3) while high intensities of lead (Pb) point to the use of lead white. The mixture of blue and white pigments is clearly visible under the microscope. The absorption maximum at 600 nm on the FORS spectra (Fig. 2) indicates ultramarine blue. The absorption maximum at 650–660 nm is instead characteristic for the organic pigment indigo. Ultramarine blue and indigo are confirmed by Raman spectroscopy of loose blue particles. At 80x magnification, the typical shape of lapis lazuli grains with conchoidal fracture can be observed. The size of these particles is mostly in the range 5–10 µm, which indicates that the stone was well ground and purified to obtain the pigment. Painter A used indigo for blue shades, for in- stance on the miniature of the flood on folio 2, page 3. The heavy rain is painted in indigo on top of the other colour layers (Fig. 3). Open-Access-Publikation im Sinne der CC-Lizenz BY 4.0