TY - JOUR A1 - Steger, Simon A1 - Oesterle, D. A1 - Bretz, S. A1 - Frenzel, L. A1 - Stege, H. A1 - Winkelmeyer, I. A1 - Hahn, Oliver A1 - Geiger, G. T1 - Kandinsky’s fragile art: a multidisciplinary investigation of four early reverse glass paintings (1911–1914) by Wassily Kandinsky N2 - This work highlights the rediscovery of the technique of reverse glass painting by the artists of the “Blaue Reiter” collective in the early 20th-century and focusses particularly on the role of Wassily Kandinsky (1866–1944). Kandinsky created more than 70 reverse paintings on glass and showed several of them in exhibitions together with paintings on canvas and cardboard, implying a coequal importance of these techniques. Four of his early (1911–1914) reverse glass paintings (Auferstehung, Allerheiligen II, Rudern, Apokalyptischer Reiter II) were selected for investigation and their iconography, painting techniques and painting materials were examined. Two paintings were executed on so-called cathedral glass, revealing a “hammered surface”, whereas Kandinsky used a corrugated glass panel for Rudern. A multi-analytical, non-invasive approach [X-ray fluorescence (XRF), diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS), VIS spectroscopy (VIS), Raman spectroscopy] was taken to identify the pigments and classify the binding media. The results reveal a broad palette of materials. Several pigments like lead white, zinc white, Strontium yellow, Prussian blue, viridian, cadmium yellow, ultramarine blue, cinnabar and carbon black were found in most of the four paintings. The use of the rare synthetic organic pigments PR60 and PB52 is discussed. In two works of art, cadmium carbonate is associated with cadmium yellow. The identification of aluminium foil along with tin foils in Rudern indicates an early use of this material for reverse glass paintings. KW - Reverse glass painting KW - Non-invasive analysis KW - Raman spectroscopy KW - DRIFTS PY - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-480075 VL - 7 IS - 27 SP - 1 EP - 17 PB - Springer AN - OPUS4-48007 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Steger, Simon A1 - Oesterle, D. A1 - Mayer, R. A1 - Hahn, Oliver A1 - Bretz, S. A1 - Geiger, G. T1 - First insights into Chinese reverse glass paintings gained by non-invasive spectroscopic analysis-tracing a cultural dialogue N2 - This work presents a technical investigation of two Chinese reverse glass paintings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A multi-analytical, non-invasive approach (X-ray fluorescence (XRF), diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS), Raman spectroscopy) was used to identify the pigments and classify the binding media. The results reveal a combined use of traditional Chinese and imported European materials. Several pigments like cinnabar, lead white, orpiment, carbon black and copper-arsenic green (probably emerald green) were found in both paintings; red lead, artificial ultramarine blue, Prussian blue and ochre appear in at least one of the paintings. The proof of limewash (calcite and small amounts of portlandite) as a backing layer in Yingying and Hongniang indicates that clamshell white was also used for reverse glass paintings. Drying oil was classified as a binding media in most areas of both paintings. However, the orange background of The Archer yielded prominent bands of both proteinaceous and fatty binder. KW - Non-invasive analysis KW - Reverse glass painting KW - Pigment identification KW - DRIFTS KW - Raman spectroscopy PY - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-019-00799-3 SN - 1866-9557 SN - 1866-9565 VL - 11 IS - 8 SP - 4025 EP - 4034 PB - Springer AN - OPUS4-47364 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Steger, Simon A1 - Stege, H. A1 - Bretz, S. A1 - Hahn, Oliver ED - Tomasin, P. T1 - Disclosing glittering and sparkling effects in 20th-century reverse glass paintings: a study of metallic pigments and metal foils by means of in situ XRF and DRIFTS analysis N2 - This work presents a spectroscopic study of metallic pigments and metal foils used in reverse glass paintings that were created between 1912 and 1954. Metallic pigments induce a notable sparkling effect by means of the lateral incidence of light, whereas metal foils enhance the gloss and create a glittering effect when the painting is viewed in reflected light. Both effects were desired features especially in modern reverse paintings on glass and applied by artists in manifold creative manner. The paper gives an overview on the composition of the metalfoils and metal pigments in 14 works as determined in situ by X-ray spectrometry. Metal foils made of tin, brass, aluminium and silver were found in nine paintings. Gold imitating Cu-Zn pigments in different hues and with various Cu/Zn net intensity ratios were recorded for six paintings. Silvery pigments were identified mainly as Al pigments, but also as Cu-Zn-Ni alloy in one case. Other uncommon metallic pigments were detected in Arlequin vindicatif (c. 1925) by Floris Jespers, who used not only Cu-Zn and Al pigments, but also brownish Cu and Cu-Zn-Sn pigments. Non-invasive diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier-transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) was used to classify the binding media of the metallic pigments. Drying oil and natural resin probably mixed with oil were the most common binding media. A polysaccharide-based binder was found in the silvery Cu-Zn-Ni pigment of Ohne Titel (1954) by Marianne Uhlenhuth. KW - Archaeometry KW - Non-invasive analysis KW - Reverse paintings on glass PY - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.culher.2020.11.008 SN - 1296-2074 VL - 48 SP - 196 EP - 204 PB - Elsevier Masson SAS CY - Amsterdam AN - OPUS4-54428 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -