Abstract
The privately owned oil painting Composition with Color Planes 4 (1917) by Piet Mondrian (1872–1944) has been the subject of ongoing investigation since 2011. The painting consists of color planes in a field of differing whites. Some~of these white areas suffer from delamination issues, in combination with flaking. Previous research demonstrated a link between the presence of zinc oxide and the delamination phenomena. More recently, the formation of zinc soaps was found to play a role. In this study, cross sections from both delaminating and relatively intact white areas were investigated with light microscopy, SEM-EDX, and ATR-FTIR imaging to obtain more information about the stratigraphy and condition of the paint layers. Two stages in metal soap formation were identified in the delaminating areas. The first stage consists of noncrystalline zinc soaps or zinc ions bound to carboxylate functional groups in the polymerized oil network. Crystalline zinc soaps, which represent the second, final stage of metal soap formation, are generally linked to the development of zinc soap related deterioration phenomena. In this case, they were found at the interface between the delaminating paint layers. Possible implications for treatment and factors that might trigger further delamination will be discussed.
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Notes
- 1.
Private collection, Composition with Color Planes 1, 1917 (gouache on paper, 48 × 60 cm); Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Composition with Colour Planes 2, 1917 (oil on canvas, 48 × 61,5 cm, accession no: 1543 MK); Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, Compositie No. 3, with Color Planes 3, 1917 (oil on canvas, 48 × 61 cm, accession no: 0332897); Museum of Modern Art New York (MoMa), Compositie No.5, with Color Planes 5, 1917 (oil on canvas, 49 × 61,2 cm, accession no.: 1774.1967)
- 2.
No documentation is known for the conservation history of this painting. MS2A has been in use as a varnish since 1962 and must therefore have been applied during treatment after this date.
- 3.
- 4.
Surface-sensitive techniques such as secondary ion mass spectrometry would be helpful to answer this question.
- 5.
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Acknowledgments
The authors would like to express their gratitude to the following people and institutions for their contributions to this research: the owners of Composition with Color Planes 4, H. van Keulen (RCE), L. Megens (RCE), M. van Bommel (UvA, RCE), N.~de~Keyser (RMA), R.~Hoppe (Gemeentemuseum Den Haag), G.~Osmond (Queensland Art Gallery), S.~Theobald Clark (Queensland Art Gallery), C. Rogge (The Museum of Fine Arts Houston), H.~Janssen (Gemeentemuseum Den Haag), K. J. van den Berg (RCE), M. de Visser (independent paintings conservator), I. Joosten (RCE), L. van Halem (RMA), and V. Blok (independent paintings conservator). This work is part of the PAinT project, supported by the Science4Arts program of the Dutch Organization for Scientific Research (NWO).
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Appendix
Appendix
1.1 Experimental Conditions
1.1.1 Embedding
Samples were embedded in a polyester resin (Polypol) and dry polished with SiC polishing cloths (Micro-mesh®, final step 12.000 mesh).
1.1.2 Light Microscopy
All paint cross sections were examined under a Zeiss Axioplan 2 microscope, with both incident polarized light and incident UV light (from a xenon lamp and a mercury short arc photo optic lamp HBO, respectively). The UV H365 filter set used for examination in UV consists of the following filters: excitation BP 365/12, beam splitter FT 395, and emission LP 397.
1.1.3 SEM-EDX
Scanning electron microscopy in combination with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM-EDX) studies were performed on a Verion high-vacuum electron microscope (FEI, Eindhoven, Netherlands) with an EDX system with spot analysis and elemental mapping facilities (Oxford). Backscattered electron images of the cross sections were taken at a 20 kV accelerating voltage, at a 5 mm eucentric working distance and with current density of approximately 130 pA. Samples were gold coated (3 nm thickness) in an SC7640 gold sputter coater (Quorum Technologies, Newhaven, East Sussex, UK) prior to SEM-EDX analysis to improve surface conductivity.
1.1.4 ATR-FTIR Imaging
FTIR spectral data were collected on a Perkin Elmer Spectrum 100 FTIR spectrometer combined with a Spectrum Spotlight 400 FTIR microscope equipped with a 16 × 1 pixel linear mercury cadmium telluride (MCT) array detector. A Perkin Elmer ATR imaging accessory consisting of a germanium crystal was used for ATR imaging.
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Raven, L.E. et al. (2019). Delamination Due to Zinc Soap Formation in an Oil Painting by Piet Mondrian (1872–1944). In: Casadio, F., et al. Metal Soaps in Art. Cultural Heritage Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90617-1_20
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