Analyses of Paint Media

John Mills and Raymond White
Technical Bulletin Volume 3, 1979

Abstract

The authors present further analyses of the paint media of works in the National Gallery, London. Like earlier results, these are based on gas-chromatographic examination of the fatty acid content of the samples. In most cases the results are unambiguous and unsurprising and tend to confirm trends noted before, notably the use of walnut oil in earlier Italian oil painting and its replacement by linseed oil as the 16th century progressed.  Further paint media analyses, by gas chromatography, are presented in tabular form. Comments on the results are included in the notes appended.

Keywords 

binding media, fatty acid, gas chromatography, linseed oil, National Gallery (London, England), paintings (objects), walnut oil

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To cite this article we suggest using

Mills, J., White, R. 'Analyses of Paint Media'. National Gallery Technical Bulletin Vol 3, pp 66–67.
http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/technical-bulletin/mills_white1979

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