La tecnica di Fra' Bartolomeo: studi e ricerche TT - Fra Bartolomeo's technique: studies and research

Abstract

On the basis of recent restorations carried out on paintings by Fra Bartolomeo, it was possible to investigate the technique of the artist, the employed materials, and the state of conservation of the paintings. This study permitted the characterization of the structure of the wooden panels, ground layers and underlying drawings, and the structure and composition of the painting layers. The results show an unusual abundance of bismuth in the grays of the painted architecture due to an unknown black pigment. The authors describe the techniques and materials used in the 19th-century transfer from the original panel to canvas of the Christ the Redeemer and the St. Mark in the Galleria Palatina, Florence.