Page - 243 - in The Vienna Genesis - Material analysis and conservation of a Late Antique illuminated manuscript on purple parchment
Image of the Page - 243 -
Text of the Page - 243 -
Hofmann, Rabitsch, Malissa, Aceto, Uhlir, Griesser, CalĂ , Agostino, Fenoglio 243
Violet Red lead with ultramarine
blue; Elderberry lake with
ultramarine blue Ultramarine blue, azurite, ultramarine/
Egyptian blue or ultramarine blue/azurite
with madder and lead white
Purple Orchil Orchil Orchil
Yellow Yellow ochre (Goethite);
orpiment Yellow ochre Yellow ochre, orpiment
Brown Yellow ochre with ultra-
marine blue and carbon
black Yellow ochre Ochres
Black Carbon black Carbon black Carbon black, iron gall ink
White Lead white Lead white Lead white
Gold Gold Gold Gold
The pigments, dyes and inks on the Codex Rossanensis were analysed by Raman spec-
troscopy, XRF and Micro-FTIR. The results are summarised in Table 3. The inks were
identified as metallic silver inks. The colours were directly painted onto the parchment,
no preparatory layers were found. The white pigment was identified as lead white. As in
the Vienna Genesis lead white was used in mixtures with other colours. Carbon black was
used as black pigment and to obtain darker hues of brown, violet and grey colours. Green
colours are a mixture of yellow ochre (goethite) with either ultramarine blue or indigo.
On pages 3 and 241, a particular green was identified as a mixture of orpiment and indigo.
The presence of gold was confirmed by XRF. Red lead was used as red pigment. On page
241, cinnabar was employed to write the name of the evangelist Mark. Orange tones are a
mixture of red lead and yellow ochre (goethite). Pink colours consist of red lead and lead
white. Violet parts were painted with red lead, ultramarine blue and sometimes carbon
black. A brown-violet tone was obtained by mixing yellow ochre (goethite) with carbon
black und ultramarine blue. The Raman spectra of red-mauve areas corresponded well
with the spectra of elderberry lake prepared in the laboratory. The investigation showed
that the same palette was used throughout the entire codex33.
The Codex Sinopensis has been preserved at the French National Library since 1901.
The sheep parchment is very smooth and thin, similar to that of the Vienna Genesis. The
Greek text was written with gold inks on purple parchment. The miniatures seem to be
painted directly on the parchment. The five folios with miniatures are stored in window
33 Bicchieri, 2014.
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