Abstract
Since the second half of the 19th century, the world of textile production was radically changed both in terms of esthetics and of the performances leading to industrial products whose chemical properties were totally unknown and unexplored. Stage costumes are typical examples of multi-material art objects where different natural and synthetic materials were used to fulfil specific purposes. This research was performed in the framework of a diagnostic and restoration campaign of dresses of two Federico Fellini’s movies (“Il Casanova” and “Roma”). For the characterization of the textile fibers, Attenuated Total Reflection Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography coupled with Mass Spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) were employed. The structure of the metallic threads was investigated by Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDX). Dye identification was carried out by High Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled with Diode Array Detector and mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD, HPLC-ESI-Q-ToF). The analytical approach adopted allowed us to fully characterize the costumes composed of natural, synthetic and artificial fibers dyed with complex mixtures of last generation synthetic dyes. The results collected were fundamental to fine-tune an effective restoration aimed at minimizing the damages due to ageing, inaccurate home-made restoration interventions, or poor conservation conditions.
Highlights
IntroductionPublisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations
This study focuses on two stage costumes used in Federico Fellini movies: the exquisite dress of the “golden lady” in “Il Casanova” (1976) and the tunic and the chasuble worn by a bishop in “Roma” (1927)
In order to provide information fundamental for the interventions, to shed light on the nature of the fabrics and the dyes employed in such multi-material objects, representative samples were taken from the costumes and analyzed with a combined analytical approach based on Optical microscopy (OM), ATR-FTIR, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)-EDX, Py-GC/MS, HPLC-diode array detector (DAD), and Liquid Chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-Q-ToF)
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Federico Fellini (Rimini, 1920—Rome, 1993) could be considered one of the greatest, most influential, and most creative directors and screenwriters of all time Several of his movies were awarded with national and international prizes, including ones for Best Costumes. In order to provide information fundamental for the interventions, to shed light on the nature of the fabrics and the dyes employed in such multi-material objects, representative samples were taken from the costumes and analyzed with a combined analytical approach based on OM, ATR-FTIR, SEM-EDX, Py-GC/MS, HPLC-DAD, and Liquid Chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-Q-ToF). The characterization and preservation of contemporary artworks, such as stage costumes, are of paramount important for keeping track of the evolution of textile and dyeing technologies, and this study is a promising starting point for the simultaneous study of both the fibers and the dyes in modern textiles
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