Seite - 242 - in The Vienna Genesis - Material analysis and conservation of a Late Antique illuminated manuscript on purple parchment

242 The miniatures of the Vienna Genesis: colour identification and painters’ palettes Comparison with the palettes of the Codex Purpureus Rossanensis and the Codex Sinopensis The Codex Purpureus Rossanensis and the Codex Sinopensis are regarded as closely re- lated to the Vienna Genesis. All three manuscripts are written in Greek with silver or gold ink on purple parchment. The Codex Rossanensis, preserved at the Museo Diocesano in Rossano, contains the Gospels of Matthew and Mark. 13 miniatures illustrate scenes from the life of Jesus Christ. Four miniatures depict the four evangelists. The Codex Sinopensis is preserved at the French National Library (Cod. Suppl. gr. 1286). Five pages from the Gospel of Matthew are illustrated with miniatures. All three codices are dated to the 6th century. They are estimated to originate from the Near East, probably from a region which is located in today’s Turkey. During a recent conservation treatment pigments, inks and purple dye of the Codex Rossanensis were investigated31. The manuscript department of the French National Library granted access and study of the Codex Sinopensis for com- parison with the Vienna Genesis32. Table 3: General palettes of the Codex Rossanensis, the Codex Sinopensis and the Vienna Genesis Colour Codex Rossanensis Codex Sinopensis Vienna Genesis Blue Ultramarine blue Ultramarine blue, indigo Ultramarine blue, indigo; azurite; ultra- marine with Egyptian blue; ultramarine blue with azurite Green Yellow ochre (Goethite) with ultramarine blue or indigo Yellow ochre with indigo Indigo with orpiment; malachite; azurite with orpiment; green earth Red Red lead Red lead Red lead Orange Red lead with yellow ochre (Goethite) Pink Red lead with white lead; Elderberry lake Madder Madder with lead white 31 Bicchieri, 2014. 32 We thank Charlotte Denoёl and Christian Förstel for the permission to study Codex Sinopensis. Open-Access-Publikation im Sinne der CC-Lizenz BY 4.0