Pigment study by Raman microscopy of 23 paintings by the Portuguese artist Henrique Pousao (1859-1884)

Twenty-three paintings by Henrique Pousao - a 19th century Portuguese painter - belonging to the collection of Museu Nacional Soares dos Reis, Porto, Portugal, were analysed by Raman microscopy. The fine focus of a 100 X objective allowed the visualisation and individual identification of small grains. As a result, thirty-seven compounds, namely, anatase, barium white, basic lead sulfate, brochantite, cadmium red cadmium yellow, calcium carbonate, carbon-based black, celadonite, chrome green, chrome orange, chrome yellow, cobalt blue, cochineal lake, copper sulfide, emerald green, iron(III) oxyhydroxide, iron(III) oxide, kaolinite, lead antimonate yellow, lead carbonate, lead white, lead sulfate, madder lake, malachite, Prussian blue, quartz, realgar/pararealgar, red lead, rutile, Scheele's green, strontium yellow, ultramarine blue, vermilion, viridian, zinc white and zinc yellow, were identified. Not all these compounds are pigments; some are extenders, others trace components and others probably products of reactions between pigments. Special attention was given to the Raman characterisation of celadonite, chrome orange, basic lead sulfate and lead antimonate yellow. Complementary techniques were used to confirm the identities of certain pigments and to characterise reference samples. Pousao, whose work has not previously been studied spectroscopically, was found to have used a remarkably wide range of pigments over his painting periods, without showing significant preference for any particular set of pigments. Copyright (C) 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.