We are pleased to announce a new, online edition of the NICAS colloquium on Thursday 10 April 2025 from 12.00 to 13.00 hrs. The colloquium will take place online through Microsoft Teams. Throughout the year, NICAS organises a bi-weekly Colloquium consisting of two short research lectures. It provides researchers with the opportunity to present ideas for, updates on or results of their activities. The NICAS Colloquium allows people to stay informed on a regular basis about the latest developments and results of research and to exchange information and expertise.
This week’s presentation is by Fabiana Di Gianvincenzo (Rijksmuseum)
Join the meeting by clicking the following link
►Fabiana Di Gianvincenzo – A Study of the state of conservation of wax-resin lined paintings in the Rijksmuseum collection
Abstract
Wax-resin lining was used in the 19th-20th centuries to strengthen canvas paintings by using a mixture of beeswax and a resin to impregnate the painting layers and to adhere a new canvas to the original one, providing a stronger support for the painting. The irreversible process was used to treat numerous paintings, but in time, the wax-resin materials undergo degradation and can cause damage to the painting, such as cracking, darkening, and deformations. I am using two approaches, analytical pyrolysis and headspace analysis, coupled to gas chromatography and mass spectrometry to survey a selection of paintings from the Rijksmuseum, in order to investigate the oxidation and conservation status of the lining materials. The results will be used to investigate degradation processes in connection with the age and composition of the lining, and to enable a more informed strategy for future conservation.
Bio
Fabiana Di Gianvincenzo is an analytical chemist and heritage scientist. Throughout her academic and professional path, she has worked with a range of organic materials present in cultural heritage objects, including natural dyes applied to textiles and paper, commercial oil paints, proteinaceous materials used in painting production, volatile compounds composing the smell of museum objects, and silk artefacts. As Migelien Gerritzen post-doctoral fellow in the Rijksmuseum, in Amsterdam, she is now studying the damage status of canvas paintings treated with wax-resin lining, using invasive and non-invasive approaches.