An example of raman microscopy application in the authentication of artworks

Author(s)

Dalva Lúcia Araújo de Faria ^[1] ; Thiago Sevilhano Puglieri ^[2]

Affiliation

^[1] Universidade de São Paulo. Instituto de Química. Departamento de Química Fundamental - Brasil

^[2] Universidade de São Paulo. Instituto de Química. Departamento de Química Fundamental - Brasil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Química Nova; v. 34, n. 8, p. 1323-1327, 2011-00-00.

Abstract

In the present work, Raman Microscopy was employed in the characterization of the pigments used in a drawing assigned to Tarsila do Amaral, one of the most important Brazilian artists. The work (colored pencil on paper), supposedly produced in the 1920 decade, is of a very simple composition, where blue, green and brown were the colors used. Prussian Blue was found as the blue pigment, whereas green was a mixture of copper phthalocyanine and a yellow dye, probably a diarylide; the brown pigment was a carbonaceous compound. Prussian Blue was replaced by phthalocyanine as pigment since the end of the 1930's and the possibility that it could have been used as pigment in the 1920's can be ruled out. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 06/58748-7 - Reactivity, dynamics and spectroscopy of complex systems
• Grantee: Marcia Laudelina Arruda Temperini
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants