A team of scientists found the cause of dull yellow color in the paintings of Vincent Van Gogh, informs BBC News referring to the scientific articles published in zhurnale Analytical Chemistry. It turned out that the paint is fading due to chemical reaction, the existence of which was not previously known.
Scientists led by Cohen Janssens from the University of Antwerp, conducted research at the European Synchrotron Radiation (ESRF), one of the world's leading institutions for the study of the structure of matter. Taking the two paintings by Van Gogh - "Seine" 1887 and "View of Arles with Irises" in 1888 - they studied used by the artist paints by X-ray spektromikroskopii.
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In the end, they managed to figure out what color fading due to chemical reaction that leads to the recovery of chromium. The fact that the basis of yellow paint, which was used by Van Gogh, was lead chromate PbCrO4, through which the artist received a very bright yellow color, consistent with its intentions.
Under ultraviolet light the top layer of paint in the pictures is reacted with an oil-based paints, resulting in chrome was restored so that the degree of oxidation varied from six to three. Along with her varied and color.
Scientists have also discovered why the yellow color darkens not at all Impressionist paintings, which are used to produce bright yellow lead chromate. (For example, in the paintings of Gauguin's Yellow retains its properties.) Found that to lighten the color, Van Gogh was added to the paint barium sulfate, which is required for flow of discoveries by scientists of the reaction.
According to Janssens, to prevent discoloration of the paintings by Van Gogh, should not expose them to ultraviolet rays, as well as to keep the premises with a relatively low temperature, since the higher the temperature, the faster the reaction. The scientist added that he and his team hope to find a way to bring color in paintings by Van Gogh to their original color.
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-en...d-2215063.html