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

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00007064%3AK01__%2F15%3A%230000150" target="_blank" >RIV/00007064:K01__/15:#0000150 - isvavai.cz</a>

Alternative codes found

RIV/68407700:21340/15:00225179 RIV/00023281:_____/15:#0000771

Result on the web

<a href="http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S129620741400171X?via=sd&cc=y" target="_blank" >http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S129620741400171X?via=sd&cc=y</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.culher.2014.12.004" target="_blank" >10.1016/j.culher.2014.12.004</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

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

Original language description

tThis paper presents a material study of the altarpiece in the chapel at Kˇrivoklát (Pürglitz) Castle calledKˇrivoklát Ark (around 1480–1490), located in Central Bohemia, Czech Republic. The Kˇrivoklát Altarpieceis one of the most important works of Jagiellonian courtly art in Bohemia. It is decorated with polychromesculptures 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 fluorescenceanalyser. 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 andthe method by which bismuth was used the paint layers under the metal-coated areas (under the goldand silver plating). The coating technique using bismuth powder in the Late Gothic period has alreadybeen described in scientific publications. However, our paper deals with a rare technique, i.e. the useof powdered bismuth in red bole and its plating with gold and silver leaf. Several micro-samples weretherefore taken from carefully selected parts of the altarpiece. Only a minimum amount of sample mate-rial was taken, due to the significance of altarpiece. The samples were then analyzed with optical andelectron microscopy, EDS analysis, micro-XRF, and other methods. The quantitative element mapping onthe 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 usto describe this unique late Gothic gilding technique, in which metallic bismuth was intentionally usedto affect the color scheme of the coated areas in paintings and polychrome sculptures.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_x - Unclassified - Peer-reviewed scientific article (Jimp, Jsc and Jost)

CEP classification

AL - Art, architecture, cultural heritage

OECD FORD branch

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Project

Result was created during the realization of more than one project. More information in the Projects tab.

Continuities

P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)

Publication year

2015

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Journal Of Cultural Heritage

ISSN

1296-2074

e-ISSN

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Volume of the periodical

16

Issue of the periodical within the volume

2015

Country of publishing house

GB - UNITED KINGDOM

Number of pages

6

Pages from-to

747-752

UT code for WoS article

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EID of the result in the Scopus database

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