Virgin and Child with the Infant St John

Methods applied: Stereomicroscopy, infrared reflectography (Osiris, 900 - 1700nm), XRF (Thermo Scientific - Niton XL3t GOLDD+), UV light

The wooden support consists of two butt-joint pine boards.

White ground; there is a border (c. 0.7-0.9 cm in width) along the bottom, and the left and right edges where the wood was left more or less exposed. There is no barbe and during the painting process it was simply covered over.

An examination of the edge of the panel under the stereomicroscope also revealed a grey layer on top of the white ground. In the infrared reflectogram this layer can be identified as a brush appplication extending uniformly over the entire panel, unrelated to forms or shapes. This suggests it may be an imprimatura containing lead white.

The infrared reflectogram revealed an underdrawing that was already partially visible to the naked eye. Thin greyish black pen lines carefully describe contours and essential detail; occasionally shadow and volume is indicated e. g. in the head of the infant St John. The final painted version does not deviate much from the underdrawing.

The following elements were detected using XRF and by comparing their optical characterists the following pigments were identified:

Red: Pb, Ca, Hg, Cu, (As, Bi, Ba, Zn, Mn)

Pb: lead white/red lead (?); Ca: chalk/ gypsum (?); Hg: vermilion Cu: a pigment containing copper/siccative (?)

Yellow: Pb, Ca, Fe, Cu, Sr, (As, Hg, Zn)

Pb: lead white; Ca: chalk/ gypsum (?); Fe: iron oxide /ochre (?); Cu: a pigment containing copper/ siccative (?)

Pale green: Pb, Cu, Ca, Fe, (As, Bi, Mn)

Pb: lead white; Cu: green pigment containing copper; Ca: chalk/ gypsum ?); Fe: iron oxide /ochre (?)

Blue: Pb, Ca, Fe, Cu, (As, Bi

Pb: lead white; Ca: chalk/ gypsum (?); Fe: iron oxide/ ochre (?); Cu: a blue pigment containing copper/ siccative (?)

Gold/flesh paint: Pb, Cu, Ca, Zn, Fe, Hg, (As, Bi, Mn

Pb: lead white Cu/Zn: brass flake pigment (?, not shell gold!); Ca: chalk/ gypsum (?); Fe: iron oxide/ ochre (?); Hg: vermilion (?)

Yellow hair: Pb, Ca, As, Fe, Sr, (Cu, Zn, Hg)

Pb: lead white; Ca: chalk/ gypsum (?); As: orpiment/realgar (?); Fe: iron oxide/ ochre (?);

Yellow snake: Pb, Ca, Fe

Pb: lead white; Ca: chalk/ gypsum (?); Fe: iron oxide/ ochre (?)

The following pigments were identified in the paint layers: lead white, vermilion, a green pigment containing copper. The bright yellow pigment in the hair corresponds with the raman spectrum for synthetic orpiment (XRF detected arsenic)

The flesh paint and draperies were laid in with various admixtures in a range of tones and then modulated with paler and darker admixtures. The red garments do not exhibit a black underpainting. The Virgin's hair was laid in with a brown ochre tone and single hairs were applied on top with yellow and brown paint.

A compass was used to scratch the circle for St John's nimbus into the black painted background and then it was decorated with gold coloured flake pigment (probably brass not gold). It cannot be excluded that this application was not part of a previous conservation campaign, however there is no evidence of an alternative decoration with a different material.

[Blumenroth, Heydenreich, Wu, unpublished examination report, 21.07.2022]

The annual rings were measured and a comparison with the pine tree ring chronology in southern Germany yielded the following results:

Board I: 48 annual rings, 1534 -1487; Board II: 47 annual rings, 1539 - 1493

Both board are from the same tree the youngest annual ring is from 1539. We can assume a felling date of c. 1539 as with pine usually the whole cross-section is used and only the bark is removed. Taking a two year seasoning period into account the wood could have been used any time after 1541.

[Klein report, 03.11.2021]

The condition of the painting is unstable.

There are several vertical splits in the wooden support, it has been thinned in the recent past to a thickness of c. 0.7 cm and a cradle has been attached to the reverse.

Numerous retouches are visible in UV-light. The paint layer exhibits many white and semi-transparent inclusions, particularly in the background. These may be so-called protrusions resulting from the saponification of lead white.

[Blumenroth, Heydenreich, Wu, unpublished examination report, 21.07.2022]