Abstract
The painting An Old Man in Military Costume in the J. Paul Getty Museum, by Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn, was studied using two complementary, element-specific imaging techniques—neutron activation autoradiography (NAAR) and macro-X-ray fluorescence (MA-XRF) mapping—to reveal the second, hidden painting. NAAR provided a strong image of the face and cloak of the underlying figure, along with an indication of the chemical composition. The single-element distribution maps produced by MA-XRF mapping provided additional details into the shape of the underlying image and the composition of the pigments used. The underlying figure’s face is richer in mercury, indicative of the pigment vermilion, than the face of the figure on the surface. Likewise, the cloak of the underlying figure is richer in copper than the surface figure though the identity of the copper-containing pigment cannot be determined from these data. The use of iron earth pigments, specifically Si-rich umbers, is indicated through the complementary information provided by the NAAR and MA-XRF maps. These data are used to create a false color digital reconstruction, yielding the most detailed representation of the underlying painting to date.
Highlights
Hidden paintings—paintings that have been painted over, either by the original artist or in subsequent interventions— have long been of interest to scholars because of their potential to reveal information about the working practice of an artist or workshop
This paper utilizes the results obtained by MA-XRF together with those previously obtained with neutron autoradiography to obtain the fullest understanding to date of the elemental composition of the underlying image
As with the X-radiograph, the underlying figure is more seen when the Pb-La map is rotated 180° (Fig. 2c); to facilitate discussion of the lower figure, all subsequent images will be shown in the rotated orientation
Summary
Hidden paintings—paintings that have been painted over, either by the original artist or in subsequent interventions— have long been of interest to scholars because of their potential to reveal information about the working practice of an artist or workshop. Paul Getty Museum’s An Old Man in Military Costume by Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn (JPGM 78.PB.246, 1630–31; Fig. 1a) using macro-X-ray fluorescence (MAXRF) mapping, and discuss how this work, combined with an earlier study using neutron activation autoradiography (NAAR), helps to reveal the underlying figure with the greatest specificity to date. This paper utilizes the results obtained by MA-XRF together with those previously obtained with neutron autoradiography to obtain the fullest understanding to date of the elemental composition of the underlying image. From these data, the pigments employed—and the colors—are inferred and used to produce a digital reconstruction of the underlying figure. We discuss how NAAR and MA-XRF may be used together in order to collect a substantial amount of information in a noninvasive manner on both the top and lower paintings
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
