This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Researchers at Uppsala University have analyzed the color pigments in a historical painting signed "L daVinci." Most of the pigments are consistent with materials used during the Renaissance, while a more recent pigment appears to be linked to later alterations. The study demonstrates how materials science can provide new pieces of the puzzle behind the history of a work of art.
The painting in question depicts the Roman Emperor Domitian. When it was auctioned at Christie's in London in 1928 and 1929, it was attributed to the Renaissance painter Titian. Later, a signature reading "L daVinci" was discovered, followed by a word that is likely the Latin pinxit, which means "painted." To investigate the materials used, the owners sought the assistance of researchers at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Uppsala University.
Jakob Thyr and Tomas Edvinsson from the Division of Solid State Physics use Raman spectroscopy to examine the chemical and structural properties of materials. The findings are published in the journal Materials Today Advances. Contact with the researchers was arranged by Lars Hälldahl, who had previously worked with Jakob Thyr to carry out similar analyses of works of art.
"Naturally, it was exciting to work on a piece of art that might have been created by Leonardo da Vinci. What's more, the signature is hard to detect. The contrast against the background is low, and it really only becomes visible when the painting is illuminated from the right angle," Thyr says.
Using Raman spectroscopy, the researchers can use laser light to identify chemical compounds. In the study, microscopically small samples from different parts of the painting were analyzed to determine which pigments had been used. In total, the researchers identified 13 pigments.
Twelve of these are traditional pigments used during the Middle Ages or the Renaissance and were therefore available in the time of Leonardo da Vinci and Titian. Even the black pigment in the signature, carbon black, has been used since antiquity. This means that pigments can act as markers of time.
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