Papers by Francesca Caterina Izzo
In this study we present the first physicochemical study of 231 drugs preserved in the main show-... more In this study we present the first physicochemical study of 231 drugs preserved in the main show-case at the ‘Spezieria di Santa Maria della Scala’ (Rome), a conventual pharmacy founded in the late seventeenth century by the Order of the Discalced Carmelites. This pharmacy is therefore associated with the religious order of Spanish origin that at that time controlled trade with both the East and the West Indies. We assumed ‘a priori’ that the drugs preserved in the pharmacy could exemplify the amalgam of learning that made up pharmaceutical knowledge in Early Modern Europe, which is of interest to the History of Science. In order to identify the composition of these drugs, we used a multi-analytical approach by the combined use of optical microscopy, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, FTIR, X-ray diffraction and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometer. Our results so far have enabled us to make an initial historical and cultural analysis of the drugs that were prepared by th...
Heritage Science, Jul 17, 2023
The deterioration of cadmium yellow paints in artworks by Joan Miró (1893-1983) and in painting m... more The deterioration of cadmium yellow paints in artworks by Joan Miró (1893-1983) and in painting materials from his studios in Mallorca (Spain) was investigated. Analysis of samples from Miró's paintings and from paint tubes and palettes showed that degraded paints are composed of poorly crystalline cadmium sulfide/zinc cadmium sulfide (CdS/ Cd 1−x Zn x S) with a low percentage of zinc, in an oil binding medium. Cadmium sulfates were identified as the main deterioration products, forming superficial white crusts detected using SR µXANES and µXRD techniques. Timeresolved photoluminescence measurements demonstrated that highly degraded samples display a pink/orange emission from the paint surface with a microsecond lifetime, a phenomenon observed in other degraded cadmium yellow paints. In agreement with recent studies on altered cadmium paints, these results suggest that the stability of the paint is related to its manufacturing method, which affects the degree of crystallinity of the resulting pigment. This, together with the environmental conditions in which artworks have been exposed, have induced the degradation of yellow paints in Miró's artworks. It was finally noted that the paints exhibiting alteration in the analysed Miró artworks have a chemical composition that is very similar to the tube paint 'Cadmium Yellow Lemon No. 1' produced by Lucien Lefebvre-Foinet. Indeed, paint tubes from this brand were found in the studio, linking the use of this product with Miro's degraded artworks.
The deterioration of cadmium yellow paints in artworks by Joan Miró (1893–1983) and from painting... more The deterioration of cadmium yellow paints in artworks by Joan Miró (1893–1983) and from painting materials from his studios in Mallorca (Spain) was investigated for the first time. Artworks showed discolouration and chalking of paints containing cadmium yellow, altering the colour balance of the works. Analysis of samples from these artworks and from tube paints and palettes containing degraded and non-degraded cadmium yellow paints showed that degraded paints are composed of poorly crystalline CdS/Cd1 − xZnxS with a low percentage of Zn in an oil binding medium. Cadmium sulfates were identified as the main deterioration products and their distribution in the paint layers was mapped using SR µXANES and µXRD techniques. Time-resolved photoluminescence measurements demonstrated that highly degraded samples display a peculiar pink/orange emission with microsecond lifetime. In agreement with recent studies on altered cadmium paints, these evidences suggest that the cause of the chemica...
Supporto e(’) Immagine - Problematiche di consolidamento e di conservazione dei supporti nei dipinti contemporanei. Atti del 8° Congresso Internazionale COLORE E CONSERVAZIONE, 2020
Science and Art, 2020
This study deals with Lucio Fontana's artworks, Concetti Spaziali, produced between 1949 and ... more This study deals with Lucio Fontana's artworks, Concetti Spaziali, produced between 1949 and 1968, and reports the results of a larger research project on his technique, carried out in collaboration with the Fondazione Fontana by international, multidisciplinary work groups in the last decade, with a special focus on a selection of artworks from the series Olii (Oils) series. It is here demonstrated, how Fontana made use of oil paints containing different lipidic binders: a non-drying oil such as castor oil, a semi-drying oil such as rapeseed oil, and the traditional siccative binder, linseed oil. It is not clear if Fontana wished to experiment with different kinds of oils in order to achieve different effects or if he simply used ready-made paints without knowing their composition. In any case, the materials and techniques he used are here proven to be closely linked to the conservation problems exhibited by the pictorial layers.
Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy, 2019
We present a multi-analytical in situ non-invasive study of a series of emblematic paintings by A... more We present a multi-analytical in situ non-invasive study of a series of emblematic paintings by Alessandro Milesi (1856-1945) from the collection of the International Gallery of Modern Art Ca' Pesaro in Venice. Eight paintings dated from 1897 to 1910 were studied with imaging and spectroscopic techniques. White pigments were characterised by a combination of X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy which traced the presence of zinc-based pigments in Milesi's paintings, Raman Spectroscopy, Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF) Spectroscopy and Time-resolved Luminescence Imaging. Time-resolved analysis of luminescence emissions revealed the nanosecond emission from organic compounds and the slower emission from the luminescent inorganic pigment Zinc Oxide that varied between 1.1 and 1.6 microseconds. In this work, data regarding the distribution of luminescent pigments was acquired with a time-gated imaging detector. Furthermore, differences in emission decay kinetics recorded from different paintings can be ascribed to different paint formulations or origins of the Zinc white in paint.
Sustainability
In Heritage Science, sampling is frequently performed for the subsequent diagnostics of modern an... more In Heritage Science, sampling is frequently performed for the subsequent diagnostics of modern and contemporary paintings using invasive analytical techniques. However, it endangers the integrity of artworks, and thus, it should be carefully planned and carried out only as a last resort by specialists. Pigment mixtures have commonly been employed by modern and contemporary artists due to the ease of combining paints on the color palette. Hence, a painting might include both primary/secondary paints and mixtures of those. Therefore, obtaining a sample from a mixture might be sufficient for the identification of the individual primary-colored paints. This study focused on the creation of a user-friendly computational workflow for the analysis of images of paintings for the identification of mixtures using cluster analysis (K-means and Fuzzy C-means clustering). Sixteen modern and contemporary paintings that belong to the International Gallery of Modern Art Ca’ Pesaro in Venice have be...
Applied Sciences
In the context of the archaeometrical study of Saturnino Gatti’s wall paintings, a significant as... more In the context of the archaeometrical study of Saturnino Gatti’s wall paintings, a significant aspect concerned the study of the organic component to understand both the original binders used in the original areas and the products used for pictorial reintegration and restoration of the painted surfaces. Thanks to the results obtained from various non-invasive and multi-band imaging techniques, it was possible to define Gatti’s original painting technique and identify the materials subsequently applied in significant samples. To this end, molecular analyses based on mass spectrometry were carried out. Different procedures in gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and in pyrolysis coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS) were adopted. The analyses revealed a variety of organic materials on the mural paintings, most of which are from past restoration interventions and have synthetic origin. The overspread presence of paraffin is likely due to the application o...
Heritage
The present study sought to expand on and confirm the already available information on the painti... more The present study sought to expand on and confirm the already available information on the painting materials used by the Venetian artist Guido Cadorin (1892–1976). A multi-analytical approach was employed in the study of six tempera grassa easel paintings and one casein tempera on a panel signed by the artist and belonging to the International Gallery of Modern Art Ca’ Pesaro in Venice, Italy, which dated from 1921 to 1951. The aim of the research was to identify the painting materials, observe the evolution of the color palette through time and assess the state of conservation. Non-invasive imaging and/or spectroscopic techniques were employed, such as hyperspectral imaging spectroscopy (HSI) and Raman spectroscopy. Microsamples were also collected from the edges and detached areas of the canvases that were studied through three non-destructive techniques, namely optical microscopy (OM), energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence spectrometry (EDXRF) and attenuated total reflection four...
Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2014
The public defense on 15th May 2020 at 12:00 will be organized via remote technology.
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Papers by Francesca Caterina Izzo
It was initiated by a group of experts from different fields of conservation of cultural heritage, including architecture, chemistry, and material science, combining both research and teaching in the field of conservation
and preservation of cultural heritage.
The efforts of experts and conservators in preserving the world’s cultural heritage should be supported by understanding and input of the general public. It will not succeed without you!
Upon the development of the ELAICH Methodology, it was applied during the eLAICH courses taught by the ELAICH partners in Greece, Israel, Malta, Turkey, and Jordan. All this served as “building technology” and
“building materials” for the “construction” of the eLAICH e-learning Educational Toolkit.
It is our pleasure to share with you our knowledge and interest in cultural heritage and its conservation. We hope that study with the eLAICH Educational Toolkit will help you to “open the door” into conservation of
cultural heritage - a much needed and fascinating interdisciplinary
field, combining arts, architecture, sciences, and technology.
Anna Lobovikov-Katz, Head, ELAICH Project
January 2012 Haifa, Israel
(for full list of contributors : The ELAICH Manual, p.3)