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• A multi-technique approach has been used to study Max Ernst's masterpiece. • Vis-NIR imaging revealed a preparatory drawing and pentimenti. • Conscious use of colour palette which includes both traditional and synthetic pigments. • ER-FTIR analysis evidenced Zn oxalates and Zn metal soaps as degradation products. The Attirement of the Bride , painted by Max Ernst in 1940, is permanently on display in the Peggy Guggenheim Collection (PGC) in Venice. Within the framework of a larger study of materials and techniques of works by Ernst at the PGC, researchers carried out a series of non-invasive analyses. A combined approach based on Vis-NIR multispectral imaging, Raman Spectroscopy, X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), and External Reflection Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ER-FTIR), was conducted insitu in the museum galleries. In addition, two micro-samples were analysed with SEM-EDS and μ-Raman. This approach produced vital information on the preparatory drawing, the pentimenti , the pigments, the extenders and the alteration products present in the painting. The results showed also the presence of a white preparatory layer, under the pictorial one and above the canvas, composed by lithopone (a mixture of zinc sulphide and barium sulphate), basic lead carbonate and calcium carbonate. The latter compound is probably present also as an extender. The palette included both traditional and new synthetic, commercial pigments, used as primary colours or in mixtures. Moreover, in several areas of the painting, zinc oxalates have been identified as alteration products and more rarely, zinc metal soaps, which could also be present as additives in the paint tube. These analyses revealed the masterful and innovative painting technique of this pioneer of Surrealism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the role of documentation in providing information on British artist Leslie Thornton's steel sculpture "Roundabout" regarding its material diversity and complex structure which served as a basis to develop conservation strategies. Topics discussed include oxyacetylene torch welding technique used by Thornton to weld and color his sculpture, analysis of painted surface using several techniques including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction, and research to collect documentation details related to artist's work and exhibitions.

The article presents a study which assessed the potential of Brillouin light scattering (BLS) and Raman in a microspectroscopic setup (BRaMS) for the investigation of oil paint films, understanding molecular and structural changes that occur during polymerization and curing, and defined paint stability. Topics include BLS-Raman microscopy of drying oil, BRaMS of a zinc oxide (ZNO)-oil paint mock-up, and BRaMS of a microfragment from J. Pollock's masterpiece, Alchemy.