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Hofmann, Rabitsch, Malissa, Aceto, Uhlir, Griesser, CalĂ , Agostino, Fenoglio 237
ultramarine blue and azurite to which small amounts of carbon black or madder can be
added. The incarnate parts show a variation of mixtures of lead white with red lead, mad-
der and yellow ochre. Shades were painted with red lead, madder, red and brown ochres
and green earth. Different proportions were used for light and dark flesh tones.
Joseph wears a purple pallium with a gold chlamys on folio 19, page 37 (Fig. 41) and
on folio 22, page 43. Painter F used the purple tone of the parchment for the pallium, on
which he applied contours and folds in carbon black and shell gold. The gold, which was
confirmed by XRF and FORS, sits directly on the parchment layer.
On the IRR images contours, folds and shades on hair and cloth appear in strong black
brush strokes, which indicate the use of carbon black. Clavi, orbiculi, shoelaces or heads
of columns were painted with thin brush lines. Black areas seem to be painted with dark
brown and black colours. The dark brown appears grey in IRR.
The characteristics of painter F are the use of a mixture of ultramarine blue and azurite
in blue, violet and blue-grey colours (Table 2). He worked with blue-grey, violet and rose
colours on all miniatures. He used green earth in a variety of mixtures to paint the fore-
grounds. Lead white was added to many colours. The purple parchment is only visible as
purple colour on the pallium of Joseph or the horses. Black areas were sometimes painted
with a reddish brown pigment and with carbon black on top of it.
Palette of Painter G: folios 23–24, pages 45–48
Painter G depicted Jacob’s blessings, the calling of his sons and his death (Gen. 48, 16 to
50, 4). There is consensus among art historians and codicologists that folios 23 to 24 were
painted by a different painter in another style (Table 1). Similar to those by painter E,
the miniatures are fully painted with the fore- and backgrounds covering the parchment
(Fig. 43). Painter G also used a mixture of ultramarine blue, azurite and lead white for blue
areas. Shading seems to be painted with indigo, darker shades with the addition of carbon
black. The contours and folds of cloth were applied with carbon black on top of the blue
layers (Fig. 44). Ultramarine blue, azurite and lead white were confirmed by XRF. Similar
to folios 12–22 the light blue particles are interpreted as azurite since the presence of copper
can be confirmed by XRF.
Green paint layers are mixtures of green earth, yellow ochre and lead white. Light green
was painted with a higher amount of lead white, yellow-green with a higher amount of
yellow ochre. Small amounts of ultramarine/azurite or carbon black could be added to
achieve different shades. Green earth, lead white and yellow ochre are confirmed by XRF
and FORS. The dark green of the cloth on folio 23, page 46 and folio 24, page 47 seems to
Open-Access-Publikation im Sinne der CC-Lizenz BY 4.0
The Vienna Genesis
Material analysis and conservation of a Late Antique illuminated manuscript on purple parchment
- Title
- The Vienna Genesis
- Subtitle
- Material analysis and conservation of a Late Antique illuminated manuscript on purple parchment
- Editor
- Christa Hofmann
- Publisher
- Böhlau Verlag
- Location
- Wien
- Date
- 2020
- Language
- English
- License
- CC BY 4.0
- ISBN
- 978-3-205-21058-0
- Size
- 17.3 x 24.5 cm
- Pages
- 348