Raphael, The Ansidei Madonna

Raphael, ‘The Ansidei Madonna’ shows the Virgin and Saint John the Baptist and was commissioned by Niccolò Ansidei for his family chapel in the Church of Saint Fiorenzo in Perugia.

The pigment analysis shows a rich palette of Renaissance pigments including ultramarine, verdigris, and the very rare powdered metallic bismuth.

This pigment analysis is based on the work of the scientists at the National Gallery London (1). The results of the investigation have been published in references (1) and (2) and all the microscopic images of cross-sections, the infrared and x-ray images are included in the website of the Raphael Research Project of the National Gallery London (3).

1 Pale blue sky: natural ultramarine mixed with white over a layer of azurite also mixed with white.
2 Dark strip on which the gold inscription is written: azurite darkened with age.

3 Dark underside of the canopy: the now brown underlayer consists of red lake, a little vermilion, black powdered glass, and a translucent yellow pigment. This yellow pigment is probably a mixture of carmine kermes and brazilwood which deteriorated to give a yellow colour. The upper layer contains a red lake glaze.
4 Dark roof of the canopy: a mixture of azurite and red lake painted over a greenish underlayer consisting of azurite, lead white, and faded brazilwood red lake.
5 Green paint of the scalloped fringe around the canopy: verdigris mixed with lead-tin yellow, with smaller amounts of white and black. The uppermost layer is a verdigris glaze.

6 Saint John’s red drapery: the primer consists of lead white, lead-tin yellow, and powdered glass. On top are several layers of carmine kermes lake and brazilwood lake mixed with vermilion. 
7 Madonna’s dark blue coat: pure ultramarine painted over a layer of azurite. Lead white is added to the highlights.

8 Orange lining of Saint Nicolas’s cope: vermilion mixed with red lead.
9 Dark green of Saint Nicholas’s cope: verdigris mixed with lead-tin yellow, with smaller amounts of white and black. The uppermost layer is a verdigris glaze.
10 Brown gold-embroidered borders of Saint Nicholas’s cope: vermilion, black, white, orange ochre, and little verdigris overpainted with a final glaze containing softwood pitch (asphalt).

11 Green of the distant landscape: verdigris and lead-tin yellow.
12 Brown colour of the throne: lead-tin yellow and ochres.
13 Light grey colour of the architectural setting: lead white and powdered metallic bismuth.
14 Halo of the Virgin and gold decorations on the draperies: shell gold (finely powdered metallic gold).

15 Golden balls in the lower right edge and the inscription on the throne: mordant gilding.

References

(1) Roy, A., Spring, M., Plazzotta, C. ‘Raphael’s Early Work in the National Gallery: Paintings before Rome‘. National Gallery Technical Bulletin Vol 25, pp 4–35. Available as pdf.

(2) Marika Spring, Raphael’s Materials: Some New Discoveries and their Context within Early Sixteenth-Century Painting, Eu-ARTECH Raphael Workshop, National Gallery London, 2004. Available as pdf.

(3) The Procession to Calvary, Raphael, Raphael Research Resource, National Gallery London.

(1) Roy, A., Spring, M., Plazzotta, C. ‘Raphael’s Early Work in the National Gallery: Paintings before Rome‘. National Gallery Technical Bulletin Vol 25, pp 4–35. Available as pdf.

(2) Marika Spring, Raphael’s Materials: Some New Discoveries and their Context within Early Sixteenth-Century Painting, Eu-ARTECH Raphael Workshop, National Gallery London, 2004. Available as pdf.

(4) Hugo Chapman, Tom Henry and Carol Plazzotta, Raphael – from Urbino to Rome, exhibition catalog, National Gallery London, 2004. Available as pdf.

 Studying Raphael, Raphael Research Resource, National Gallery London.