New insights into the painting stratigraphy of L’Homme blessé by Gustave Courbet combining scanning macro-XRF and confocal micro-XRF

• Published in: Applied physics. A, Materials science & processing Materials science & processing, 2016-11, Vol.122 (11), p.1-13, Article 947
• Main Authors: Reiche, Ina, Eveno, Myriam, Müller, Katharina, Calligaro, Thomas, Pichon, Laurent, Laval, Eric, Mysak, Erin, Mottin, Bruno
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied physics; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Composition; Condensed Matter Physics; Confocal; Courbet, Gustave (1819-1877); Cross sections (physics); Cross-sections; Depth profiling; Fluorescence; Imaging; Innovation in Art Research and Technology; Lead (metal); Machines; Manufacturing; Materials science; Nanotechnology; Optical and Electronic Materials; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Processes; Scanning; Stratigraphy; Surfaces and Interfaces; Thin Films; Two dimensional analysis; X ray fluorescence analysis; X ray imagery; X-ray radiography
• ISSN: 0947-8396; 1432-0630
• DOI: 10.1007/s00339-016-0457-1

The painting L’Homme blessé by Gustave Courbet kept at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris has been recently studied by X-ray radiography, SEM–EDX observation of paint cross sections and confocal micro-X-ray fluorescence analyses (CXRF) at locations where the cross section samples were taken. This study allowed the establishment of the paint palette used by Courbet for the three paint compositions. Eight or more paint layers could be evidenced. In the view of the complexity of this painting, further analyses using two-dimensional scanning macro-X-ray fluorescence imaging (MA-XRF) providing chemical images corresponding to the superimposition of all detectable paint layers were employed. This method is combined with CXRF for depth-resolved paint layer analysis. Large elemental maps of Hg, Cu, As, Fe, Zn, Cr, Ba, Pb and Ca were obtained by MA-XRF on the painting and are discussed in combination with depth profiles obtained by CXRF on strategic points where three painting compositions overlap. The order of three successive compositions of this painting were determined in this study. This work also highlights the benefits of using complementary imaging methods to obtain a complete three-dimensional vision of the chemistry and stratigraphy of paintings.