AN INVESTIGATION INTO KANDINSKY'S USE OF RIPOLIN IN HIS PAINTINGS AFTER 1930

Abstract

Vasily Kandinsky worked in a variety of media throughout his long career, and it appears from technical examinations and from his writings that he experimented with and manipulated his materials and techniques. This article describes the scientific investigation of five paintings dated after 1930, four of which were recorded by the artist as containing “huile + rip” (“rip” being thought to refer to the renowned brand of oleoresinous enamel paint Ripolin or perhaps to another similar enamel type paint mixed with other media). Following a thorough non-invasive investigation of the paintings with XRF, selected paint samples were analyzed with FTIR spectroscopy, optical and polarized light microscopy, and SEM with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. The results were compared to an extensive database of reference enamels and artist tube paints from the same era along with actual paints left by the artist in his studio. This study draws attention to the artist's complex use of mixed media, which if the artist's statements are accurate, may well have included mixtures of oleoresinous enamel paints and fine artist's tube paints, occasionally supplemented with dry pigments, used together with artists’ oils on the same painting.