Abstract
This paper discusses a cross-disciplinary, international collaboration aimed at researching a series of 15th century choir books at the abbey of San Giorgio Maggiore on the homonymous island in Venice. Produced for the abbey itself, the books have never left the island during their 500-year history, thereby allowing a unique opportunity to analyse historic artefacts, which have undergone little modification over time. Prompted by ongoing cataloguing work on the manuscripts, a week-long analytical campaign using a combination of non-invasive analytical methods used in portable configuration allowed the comprehensive characterisation of ten volumes. The manuscripts’ palette and painting techniques were analysed using near-infrared imaging, reflectance spectroscopy in the UV-vis-NIR range, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence mapping and digital microscopy. The paper will discuss the challenges linked to the fragility and the large dimensions of the volumes as well as the most interesting results of the investigation. These include the detection of unusual painting materials such as bismuth ink, as well as the discovery of a less homogeneous palette than originally expected, which prompted a partial revision of the attribution of the decoration in one of the volumes to a single artist.
Highlights
The abbey of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice owns a precious set of 15th century manuscripts which have never left the island since their production for the abbey itself
A multi-step analytical protocol was used, starting with near-infrared (NIR) imaging followed by spectroscopic analyses: fibre-optic reflectance spectroscopy (FORS) in the ultraviolet, visible and near-infrared (UV-vis-NIR) range; X-ray fluorescence (XRF) mapping; and Raman spectroscopy
The results presented here focus on the miniatures rather than on the decorative borders, present on the same pages, which were likely executed by workshop assistants and have no bearings on the attribution to the Master of Antiphonary Q
Summary
The abbey of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice owns a precious set of 15th century manuscripts which have never left the island since their production for the abbey itself. This makes the volumes of particular interest, as their miniatures have undergone little or no intervention during their long history. On-site work with portable equipment is usually recommended In this particular case, transport of the instrumentation to a small island in the Venetian lagoon was not straightforward. Close communication with the scholars involved in the ongoing cataloguing effort was key to establishing the main research questions the analyses could help answer and to selecting a limited number of folios on which the investigation should focus
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