The use of powdered bismuth in Late Gothic painting and sculpture polychromy

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• 作者：Tomá ; &scaron ; 膶echá ; k^a ; ¹ ; ^{tomas.cechak@fjfi.cvut.cz" class="auth_mail" title="E-mail the corresponding author} ; Tomá ; &scaron ; Trojek^a ; ² ; ^{tomas.trojek@fjfi.cvut.cz" class="auth_mail" title="E-mail the corresponding author} ; Radka &Scaron ; efc暖^b ; ³ ; ^{sefcu@ngprague.cz" class="auth_mail" title="E-mail the corresponding author} ; &Scaron ; t臎pá ; nka Chlumská ; ^b ; ⁴ ; ^{chlumska@ngprague.cz" class="auth_mail" title="E-mail the corresponding author} ; Anna T艡e&scaron ; tí ; ková ; ^b ; ⁵ ; ^{trestikova@ngprague.cz" class="auth_mail" title="E-mail the corresponding author} ; Marek Kotrlý ; ^c ; ⁶ ; ^{marek.kotrly@pcr.cz" class="auth_mail" title="E-mail the corresponding author} ; Ivana Turková ; ^c ; ⁷ ; ^{ivana.turkova@pcr.cz" class="auth_mail" title="E-mail the corresponding author}
• 关键词：Bismuth ; Portable XRF ; SEM/EDS ; Powder micro-XRD ; Non-destructive analysis ; Non-invasive analysis ; Late Gothic ; Panel painting ; Gilding
• 刊名：Journal of Cultural Heritage
• 出版年：2015
• 出版时间：September-October 2015
• 年：2015
• 卷：16
• 期：5
• 页码：747-752
• 全文大小：2716 K

文摘

This paper presents a material study of the altarpiece in the chapel at K艡ivoklát (Pürglitz) Castle called K艡ivoklát Ark (around 1480–1490), located in Central Bohemia, Czech Republic. The K艡ivoklát Altarpiece is one of the most important works of Jagiellonian courtly art in Bohemia. It is decorated with polychrome sculptures and panel paintings. An initial investigation of the gilded and silvered parts of the paintings, sculptures and architectural decor of the altarpiece was undertaken using a portable X-ray fluorescence analyser. Not only the expected metallic elements gold and silver were identified, but also bismuth. This surprising result led on to a complex study of the altarpiece, focused on the layered structure and the method by which bismuth was used the paint layers under the metal-coated areas (under the gold and silver plating). The coating technique using bismuth powder in the Late Gothic period has already been described in scientific publications. However, our paper deals with a rare technique, i.e. the use of powdered bismuth in red bole and its plating with gold and silver leaf. Several micro-samples were therefore taken from carefully selected parts of the altarpiece. Only a minimum amount of sample material was taken, due to the significance of altarpiece. The samples were then analyzed with optical and electron microscopy, EDS analysis, micro-XRF, and other methods. The quantitative element mapping on the cross-section of a micro-sample with gilding showed distributions of several elements (Bi, Au, Fe, Al, Ca); this means that the presence of bismuth grains in the red layer under the gilding leaf was proven. Interdisciplinary cooperation and a combination of microscopic and spectral methods have enabled us to describe this unique late Gothic gilding technique, in which metallic bismuth was intentionally used to affect the color scheme of the coated areas in paintings and polychrome sculptures.