Micro‐spectroscopic Raman investigation on the canvas oil painting ‘Rebecca at the well’ of Neapolitan anonymous

Abstract

In this work, a micro‐Raman spectroscopic investigation was carried out in order to identify the pigments used in the canvas oil painting ‘Rebecca at the well’, which is preserved in MAON museum in Rende, southern Italy. The artwork's history is unknown, and no scientific investigation was performed on it before. Art historians believe that the painting was created in the XVIII century by an artist of the Neapolitan school. Raman spectra were collected by a Jobin Yvon micro‐Raman LABRAM apparatus, with a He–Ne laser (632.8 nm) as excitation source. The main original pigments were identified and modern pigments like yellow–orange chrome and phthalocyanine were also found, providing important information about the restoration works and the painting's history. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.