False-Color Infra Red Photography in the Identification of Pigments Used

for a Late 13th Century Illuminated Manuscript

M.C. Buoso1, D. Ceccato1,2, D. Zafiropoulos1
1

INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro, Legnaro (Padova), Italy.

2
Dipartimento di Fisica, Universit di Padova, Padova, Italy.

INTRODUCTION

The conservation and preservation of ancient artifacts is

the main goal of cultural heritage investigators. Nowadays,
the use of available non-invasive methods can provide
information about materials, techniques and retouches due
to previous restoration processes.
Among other non destructive techniques Infrared (IR)
reflectography and IR false-color photography play an
important role in diagnosis on artworks.
The False-color infrared photography, as a guide for
identification of pigments, has been comprehensively
investigated [1]. The method is extremely powerful and
has proved its usefulness in the identification of a whole
range of pigments. It also enables to differentiate between
the different layers of painting applied using different
methods at different times.
The experimental procedure requires the combination of
RGB color images and IR reflectograms to create a falsecolor image (or pseudo-color image) where each pigment
is represented by a specific false-color that depends on its
interaction with IR light; the interaction is strictly related
to the chemical composition of the pigment and may also
depend on the painting technique used by the artist (i.e.,
color composition, and layers on the painted surface).
The first experiences in Reflectography were carried out
with photographs on infrared sensitive photographic films
either black-white or color. Thanks to technological
advances, such as the use of IR video cameras and more
recently CCD cameras, images of better quality and
resolution were achieved. Moreover, the use of digital
image handling programs has highly simplified the
method. In the false-color image, information about the
blue color in the RGB is discarded as only the red and
green components are combined with the IR component. In
detail, the red component in the RGB image is substituted
with the IR, the green with the red, and the blue with the
green (Figure 1).
Areas with different color in the painting layer can be
representative of the different pigments utilized in the
artwork. Certain pigments, although differing in chemical
composition chemical, have colors that appear similar to
the eye. For instance, a very similar light blue color can be
obtained by either the rare and expensive lapis lazuli or by
a much less expensive azurite. This means that they have
similar absorbance spectra in visible light but they may
highly differ in the IR absorbance. So similar colored
pigments may be identified by their absorbance in the IR

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region. IR false color has been used as simple and

inexpensive method for approximately determining
pigment identification in situ on painting or manuscripts.

Fig. 1. Color sequence used for false-color image generation.

An example of successful application of False-color

method to a 13th century illuminated Evangelistary, from
the Hellenic Institute of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine
Studies in Venice, is presented.
THE 13TH CENTURY EVANGELISTARY

The parchment codex is composed of 414 measuring

31.4 x 24.8 cm. The Gospel text is written in two columns
of 21 lines in a fine flowing Greek minuscule and clubbing
Greek uncial. Part of the manuscript (MS) is in gold script
and ecphonetic notation in red while headings and small
initials in gold over red. The script is minuscule and
legible, appropriate for liturgical manuscripts. Each
passage starts with an initial letter, usually a T with
ornamental motifs and an illustration relative to the
content.
Miniatures have been painted to the right and left of the
text, in the margins, as well as between the two columns
and rarely, in the upper margin (Figure 2).
An inscription with the name of Antonio Malakes, who
lived in the 13 century, dates the manuscript in the second
half of the same century.

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Fig. 2. Example of historiated initial T and miniature from the

examined artwork.
EXPERIMENTAL

The equipment used was a modified digital camera Sony

DSC-W300 with capacity to record photographs in the
infrared spectrum at a wavelength range > 750 nm. To
capture the visible image, a IR blocking filter (X-NITE
CC1) was applied and the images were recorded with an
exposure time 1/13 seconds, aperture of 5.5. The pictures
in IR light were recorded with a visible blocking filter (XNITE 830) an exposure time of 1/25 seconds and an
aperture of 5.5.
The manuscript illumination was obtained using a
standard fluorescent light, while infrared illumination was
obtained using a RAYMAX High Performance Infra-Red
LED illuminator. The visible and IR images were taken in
the same geometrical condition and with the same camera
setting. The white balance was manually set using a white
sheet of paper.
Several standard color charts (Kremer Pigmente) with
pigment samples were taken in the same experimental
condition. These color palettes were used to compare and
identify, in an optical way, some of the constituents of the
different colors used by the painter.
The elaboration of the images was performed using a
standard digital program.

Fig. 3. Identification of blue pigments used for the dresses and

borders in miniature.

Fig. 4. Identification of red pigments used for the dress, draperies

and sandals of Christ.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The investigation employed a simple in-situ false colour

photography. The same analytical technique were applied
to several watercolor from Kremer
A small number of pigments were consistently an
conclusively identified; other pigments were identified less
conclusively. The finding confirmed that a small range of
pigments was used: no more than one or two for each color
group. From figures 2 and 3 the blue and red color
obtained from different pigments are clearly identified. For
the red hue madder lake and cinnabar were used while for
the blue hue ultramarine and indigo.

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This is compatible with results of other studies [2]. The

artist choice of pigments was consistent with the pigment
range as the most artists of his era.
One can conclude that the false-color technique provide
an good insight into the artists studio without damaging
the artwork.

[1] T. Moon et al., Studies in Conservation, 37 (1992) 42-52.

[2] L. Bugio et al. PNAS, 107 (2010) 5726.

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