Abstract
This work presents strategic multi-analytical investigations performed on “Orange Car Crash” by Andy Warhol in order to make a well-informed conservation decision. For determining the type of binding medium used in the artwork, Pyrolysis–Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (Py–GC/MS) and Thermally Assisted Hydrolysis and Methylation of GC/MS (THM–GC/MS) were employed. The presence of a coating was investigated by Py–GC/MS. Moreover, the comprehension and elucidation of the paint stratigraphy were studied by examining cross-sections of samples taken from both canvases with Optical Microscopy (OM) under reflected visible (Vis) and ultraviolet light (UV) and by Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM–EDX). The investigation of possible synthetic organic pigments (SOPs) and extenders was performed by µ-Raman spectroscopy, while micro-Attenuated Total Reflection of Fourier-Transform Attenuated Total Reflection (µ-ATR–FTIR) allowed us to assign each component detected by Py–GC/MS or THM–GC/MS to a specific layer. The data collected from “Orange Car Crash” show mostly the application of acrylic-based paint as well as alkyd with rosin acids-based ink, thus providing fundamental information about the paint stratigraphy and chemical composition of each layer. In addition to the goal of informing an appropriate conservation–restoration strategy, this work represents a rare scientific study of a work by Andy Warhol.
Highlights
From a loss on GROUND WHITE LAYER: The white ground layer was characterized as being made of titanium white (TiO2 rutile—Color Index PW6) and calcium sulfate (CaSO4—Color Index PW25) as an extender mixed with a soya oil binder
The different analytical techniques (OM under Vis and ultraviolet light (UV), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)/Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Py–GC/MS, THM–GC/MS, μ-Raman, and μ-ATR–Fourier-Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectroscopies) employed for the analysis of the samples obtained from the monochrome and silkscreen canvases of “Orange Car Crash” by Andy Warhol provided fundamental information about their main inorganic and organic components
The obtained results indicated that the monochrome canvas was mostly characterized by two white ground layers: the one from the bottom was made of a mixture of zinc white (ZnO—Color Index PW4) as a pigment and linseed oil as a binder, while the upper ground layer (1st layer) was composed of titanium white (TiO2 rutile—Color Index PW6) and lithopone (barite (BaSO4) + zinc sulfide (ZnS)—Color Index PW5) as pigments and linseed oil as a binder as well
Summary
Acrylic and alkyd paints represent a large group of modern materials as a great part of artworks in many different museum collections around the world. The main chemical composition of modern art materials may undergo photo-oxidation and/or degradation processes, resulting in different chemical compounds that are difficult to identify Another challenge is when a complex or multilayered paint stratigraphy with the addition of a coating is present in an artwork, in which the identification and characterization of each layer require sampling and, in general, the synergetic use of different analytical techniques. The use of a p(EA/MMA) as acrylic paint was identified in four canvasses of Andy Warhol’s Portrait of Brooke Hayward (1973) together with different types of synthetic organic and inorganic pigments via Fourier-Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and Pyrolysis–Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (Py–GC/MS) [16]. Those inks were characterized by FTIR and High-Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) as mixtures of various synthetic dyes [17]
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