- Understand the composition and properties of cadmium red.
- Recognize the historical significance of cadmium red as a replacement for vermilion.
- Interpret XRF spectra to detect selenium peaks associated with cadmium red.
- Cadmium red sample included in Pigments Checker STANDARD.
- XRF spectrometer with routine filter setup.
- Introduction to Cadmium Red
- Explain cadmium red as a cadmium sulfo-selenide pigment.
- Highlight its historical use as a safe replacement for vermilion (mercury sulfide) in the 19th century.
- Selenium and Cadmium Red
- Emphasize selenium’s role in cadmium red and its absence in other art pigments.
- Introduce the spectral properties of selenium: K-alpha peak at 11.2 keV and K-beta at 12.5 keV.
To reinforce the concepts discussed here, we also provide a video lesson that visually walks through the key points of this topic. Watching the video alongside the text can help you better understand and apply these ideas in practice.
The course XRF Spectroscopy for Art Examination introduces conservators, art historians, and scientists with interest in Art to the principles and practical applications of X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy in the examination of artworks. The course starts with basic principles of XRF and gradually explores its role in identifying materials and methods used in the creation and conservation of art.
Course Objectives
- Understand the fundamentals of XRF spectroscopy and how it applies to the analysis of art.
- Learn the key features and limitations of XRF for examining art and archaeology.
- Gain skills in interpreting XRF spectra to identify specific elements in paint layers, inks and metals.
Scientific Art Examination – Resources:
Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) – USA
The British Museum – Scientific Research Department – UK
Scientific Research Department – The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA
C2RMF (Centre de Recherche et de Restauration des Musées de France) – France
Rijksmuseum – Science Department – Netherlands
