Elsevier

Journal of Cultural Heritage

Volume 9, Issue 2, April–June 2008, Pages 162-171
Journal of Cultural Heritage

Original article
San Francesco d'Assisi (Apulia, South Italy): Study of a manipulated 13th century panel painting by complementary diagnostic techniques

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.culher.2007.10.003Get rights and content

Abstract

The panel painting “S. Francesco d'Assisi” (Museo diocesano “Mons. A. Marena”, Bitonto, Italy), executed around the half of the 13th century and manipulated at least two times in the following centuries, was studied by various complementary analytical techniques in order to characterise the original medieval painting technique and the subsequent editions. Optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), micro-Raman spectroscopy and pyrolysis–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) were applied on various samples taken from significant parts of the painting. Several in situ micro-Raman analyses were also performed. The results obtained confirm that the painting belongs to the 13th century Italian painting tradition. Furthermore, combination of various analytical techniques revealed that the 13th century original background, which now appears dark grey, was realised by applying a tin foil covered by a mecca layer composed of siccative oil and heated Pinaceae resin. Thus, originally the background should have had a gold-like appearance. The most important manipulation of the painting of S. Francesco probably dates back to the 16th century but shows a quite traditional technique.

Section snippets

Research aims

The discovery of a unique 13th century panel painting figuring S. Francesco in the collection of the Museo diocesano “Mons. A. Marena” (Bitonto, Italy) hidden by subsequent paint layers confronted the restoration team with the difficult task of gradually bringing to the light the original paint layers. While imaging techniques and cleaning tests had revealed the existence of a well preserved medieval version, microscopy and chemical analyses were used in order to characterise most of the

Sampling

Samples have been taken from different significant parts of the painting. The sampling points with a brief description are reported in Fig. 1b and Table 1 together with significant findings.

Physico-chemical measurements

Preliminary observations of the collected microfragments have been performed using a Nikon SMZ800 stereomicroscope. An optical microscope (Nikon Eclipse 80i) equipped with a fluorescence source X-Cite 120 and Nikon B-2A and UV-2A filter blocks has been used to carry out optical observations under visible,

Characterisation of the wood panel and cloth

Examination of the transversal section of the wood permitted the observation of sub-tangential bands (composed of aggregated vessels, barely visible to the naked eye), homogeneously diffused over the entire section. Several other vessels, having a much bigger lumen with respect to those who compose the light coloured bands, can be distinguished in the entire transversal section. Observation of the transversal thin sections reveals numerous parenchymal cells dispersed throughout the wood.

Discussion

The combination of optical, spectroscopic and chromatographic analysis techniques has permitted a quite complete characterisation of the complex panel painting. The organic and inorganic substances present in the original 13th century version and in the 16th century edition have been identified.

The original San Francesco was painted on a panel composed of a single piece of elm wood onto which a linen plain weave cloth and a white ground layer composed of animal glue, gypsum and calcite were

Conclusions

The scientific examination of the recently discovered panel painting representing S. Francesco has permitted placement of the artwork within the important Italian painting tradition of the 13th century and to understand how, in various cases, it is possible to find an exact coincidence between ancient treatises and what the panel painting reveals.

Optical microscopy of specimens and thin sections allowed the identification of the wood panel and subsequent cloth layer as Ulmus sp. and linen

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