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“Old Masters” like Leonardo da Vinci, Sandro Bottleceli and Rembrant may have used egg yolk in their oil paintings, in their oil paintings, A new study.
Classic oil paintings have long been detected the trace volume of protein residues, although they were often told for contamination. A New study published on Tuesday In the journal Nature Communications found that the possibility of inclusion was deliberate – and highlights the technical knowledge of the old masters, the most skilled European painters in the 16th, 17th or 18th century, and the way they prepared their paint.
“There are very few written sources about this and no scientific work has been done earlier to examine the subject in such a depth,” in a phone interview, Offly the Institute of Mechanical Process of Mechanical Process Engineering and Mechanics Institute of Mechanical Process of Mechanical Processing and Mechanics at the Institute of Technology in Germany. “Our results suggest that with a very small amount of egg yolk, you can achieve an amazing change of properties in oil paint, showing how it can be beneficial for artists.”
Just adding some egg yolk to their works, it is revealed, long -lasting effects that were just beyond aesthetics.
Said compared to the medium prepared by ancient Egyptians Tempa – which combines the egg yolk with powder pigments and water – the oil paint makes more intense color, allows very smooth color for infection and dries up very less quickly, so it can be used for several days after its preparation. However, oil paint, which uses flaxseed or kusum oil instead of water, also contains drawbacks, in which colors are more susceptible to dark and damage due to light exposure.
Because paint making was an artisan and experimental process, it is possible that old masters have added egg yolk to new types of paint, an familiar component, first shown in the seventh century in Central Asia. Dilate in northern Europe During the Renaissance in the Middle Ages and Italy. In the study, the researchers re-created the paint-shaking process using four ingredients-egg yolk, distilled water, flaxseed oil and pigment-to combine the white and ultramarine blue, to mix the process of paint-twisting-two historically popular and important colors.
“In addition to egg yolk is beneficial because it can tune the properties of these paints in a rigid manner,” said, “Ranquett said,” For example, showing aging differently: it takes longer to oxidize the paint, because due to the antioxidants contained in the yolk. ”
Chemical reactions between proteins in oil, pigment and yolk directly affect the behavior and viscosity of paint. “For example, the lead white pigment is quite sensitive to moisture, but if you coat it with a protein layer, it makes it very resistant, making it quite easy to apply the paint,” Ranquett said.
“On the other hand, if you wanted some stifer without adding too much pigment, you can make a high imposto paint with egg yolk,” he said, referring to a painting technique where the paint is placed in a stroke thick, which is still visible. Using low pigment would be desirable centuries ago, when some pigments – such as Lapis Lajuli, which were used to make Altmarine blue – was more expensive than gold, according to the Ranquett.
A direct proof of the effect of egg yolk in oil paint, or in its absence, can be seen in the “Madonna of the Carnetion,” of Leonardo da Vinci. One of the pictures seen during the study. Currently at the performance of Ulte Pinakothek in Munich, Germany, Kama reflects clear wrinkles on the face of Mary and the child.
“The oil paint starts drying from the bottom from the surface, which is why it is of wrinkles,” Rainquett said.
One of the reasons for wrinkles may be an insufficient amount of pigments in paint, and the study has shown that this effect can be avoided in addition to egg yolk: “This is quite surprising because you have the same amount of pigment in your paint, but the presence of egg yolk varies everything.”
Because wrinkles occur within days, it is likely that Leonardo and others Older masters may hold this particular effect, as well as resistance of humidity in additional beneficial properties of egg yolk in oil paint. “Madonna of Carnses” is one of the early paintings of Leonardo, which is still made at a time when she will still be trying to mastered the then new popular medium of oil paint.
New understanding of classics
Another painting seen during the study was also on the performance “The Mourning,” by Botli, by Botli, also in Pinakothek. The work is mostly performed with Tempa, but oil paint is used for background and some secondary elements.
“We knew that some parts of the pictures show brushstrokes that are specific to an oil painting, and yet we discovered the presence of protein,” Rainquett said. “Because it is very small and is difficult to find out, it can be dismissed as contamination: in workshops, artists used many different things, and perhaps the eggs were just from Tempa.”
However, because adding Egg yolk oil had such desirable effects on paint, the presence of protein in work may be indicative of deliberate use instead, The study suggested. Ranquet hopes that these initial conclusions can attract more curiosity towards this understood subject.
Maria Perla Columbini, the professor of analytical chemistry at the University of PISA in Italy, who was not involved in the study agreed. “This exciting paper provides a new scenario for understanding old painting techniques,” he said in an email.
“Research groups, reporting results from molecular levels to a macroscopic scale, contributes to a new knowledge in the use of egg yolk and oil binder. They are not seeing much to identify the ingredients used by the old masters, but it suggests that they can create amazing and excellent impact to employ and introduce some available natural ingredients.
“This new knowledge not only contributes to a better protection and conservation of artifacts, but also contributes to the better understanding of art history.”
Top image: “Mona Lisa” by Leonardo da Vinci
