Table 2 Pigments characterized in the Salvator Mundi
From: Salvator Mundi: an investigation of the painting’s materials and techniques
Color | Pigment | Ideal chemical-mineral name/formula | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
Red | Vermilion [2, 3] | Mercuric sulfide/HgS | Flesh highlights and shadows, warm brown background underlayer, warm brown underlayer of robe, warm gray underpaint of diagonal band, lattice design of diagonal band |
Possible red lake with alum-derived substrate [1, 2] | – | Blue robe, brown background underlayer | |
Iron oxide earth [2, 3] | Hematite, iron oxide/Fe2O3 | Flesh shadows, lattice design, blue robe | |
Yellow | Lead tin yellow type I [2] | Lead stannate/Pb2SnO4 | Imprimitura, lattice design, underpainted knotwork of diagonal band, warm gray underpaint of diagonal band |
Blue | Ultramarine, natural [2, 3, 4] | Lazurite/(Na, Ca)7-8(Al, Si)12(O, S)24 [(SO4), Cl2,(OH)2] | Blue robe |
Brown | Umber [2] | Iron oxide, manganese dioxide/Fe2O3, MnO2 | Dark robe underpaint |
Black | Bone black [2] | Carbon, calcium hydroxyapatite (mainly)/C, Ca5(PO4)3(OH) | Initial black background layer, warm brown background underpaint, warm brown underpaint of robe and cuff, gray underpaint of diagonal band, flesh shadows, cuff of sleeve, background glaze layers |
Carbon black [3], including charcoal [2] | Carbon/C | Initial black background layer, warm brown background underpaint, warm brown underpaint of robe and cuff, dark robe underpaint, warm gray underpaint of diagonal band, flesh tones, cuff of sleeve, background glaze layers; lattice design (charcoal) | |
White | Lead white [2, 3, 4] | Basic lead carbonate and lead carbonate/2PbCO3.Pb(OH)2 and PbCO3 | Ground and imprimitura layers, flesh highlights, cuff of sleeve, warm gray underpaint of diagonal band |
Transparent | Soda lime glass [2, 4] | (Na, K)x(Ca,Mg,Al)ySiO2 | Ground and imprimitura layers, initial black background layer, warm brown background underpaint, warm brown underpaint of robe and cuff, blue robe, flesh tones, cuff of sleeve |
Quartz [2] | Silicon dioxide/SiO2 | Blue robe, brown underlayer of robe |