Rogier van der Weyden, The Magdalen Reading
before 1438Paintings sorted by Historical period | Painter | Subject matter | Pigments used
Overview
Medium: Oil
Support: Mahogany, transferred from another panel
Size: 62.2 x 54.4 cm
Roger van der Weyden’s ‘The Magdalen reading‘ is a fragment from an altar ‘Virgin and Child with Six Saints‘ probably painted for a church in Brussels. The figure behind Mary Magdalene is Saint Joseph and to the left we can see the bare feet and red robe of Saint John the Evangelist.
The pigment analysis shows the exquisite painting technique and the usual array of pigments of the Renaissance period.
Pigments
Pigment Analysis
This pigment analysis is based on the work of the scientists at the National Gallery London (1). The scientists employed x-ray radiography (XRR), infrared reflectography (IRR), microphotospectrometry, and high-pressure liquid chromatography to gain insights into the inner layers of the painting and to identify the pigments.
1 The Magdalen’s green robe: the underlayer consists of verdigris, lead white, and lead-tin yellow. The upper layer is painted in lead-tin yellow and verdigris in varying proportions with more lead-tin yellow in the highlights and more verdigris in the shadows.
2 The Magdalen’s blue belt: single layer of azurite with white paint for the pattern.
3 Red cushion: underlayer of vermilion, probably carmine kermes glaze in the shadows, and on the seams of the cushion.
4 Saint Joseph’s blue cloak: light purplish underpaint consisting of lead white, carmine lake, and azurite. The upper layer consists of azurite mixed with lead white in the highlights.
5 Saint Joseph’s red robe: orange-red underlayer of vermilion mixed with carmine lake. The modeling on top is painted in carmine lake and lead white in the highlights, thin red lakes in the mid-tones, and still thicker layers of a red lake in the shadows.
6 The pale blue river behind the window: lead white, azurite, and natural ultramarine.
7 Flesh paint: lead white, vermilion, carmine lake, lead-tin yellow, and azurite with added black in the shadows.
8 Brown cupboard and floorboards: black, vermilion, red ochre and some lead white and yellow ochre in the lighter tones.
References
(1) Rachel Billinge, Lorne Campbell, Jill Dunkerton, Susan Foister, Jo Kirby, Jennie Pilc, Ashok Roy, Marika Spring and Raymond White, ‘The Materials and Technique of Five Paintings by Rogier van der Weyden and his Workshop‘. National Gallery Technical Bulletin Vol 18, pp 68–86. Available as pdf.
