3.4.2022 DID YOU KNOW....…that the pigments used in Chinese paintings provide clues to history?
When you view the paintings in the museum's Chinese art galleries, look closely at the colors. A trove of information is hidden in the brushstrokes.
Scientists at the National Museum of Asian Art have been studying pigments in the museum's collections since 1951. In a recent project, they traced the use of imported pigments in Chinese painting during the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911) dynasties as part of a larger effort that examined over two hundred paintings from the Song (960–1279) through the Qing dynasty. The research showed that within the museum's collections, paintings by professional portrait artists were most likely to contain these specially imported pigments, while landscapes, still life works, and other genre paintings used a familiar, traditional palette.
This dataset represents a first step toward understanding when new pigments were first used in China. Of the hundreds of synthetic dyes and pigments invented for artists in Europe from the eighteenth to the twentieth century, only a few appear in Chinese paintings in the Freer collection. Cochineal, a red color from an insect native to the Americas, was first used in textiles in China and isn't found in paintings until the late eighteenth century. Prussian blue, discovered in Germany in 1704, hasn't been identified in Chinese paintings made before the mid-nineteenth century. An examination of how artists used these pigments also revealed various painting techniques: mixtures, layering, reverse painting, and glazing of an organic dye over a mineral pigment, to name just a few.
NMAA scientists are constantly exploring new techniques and technology to better understand our collections. In one method called hyperspectral imaging, currently being used in other research, a two-dimensional image is acquired at every wavelength of light, creating a three-dimensional data set. The process can identify pigments, including mixtures of pigments applied as one color, as well as pigments that have been painted over one another. It can also reveal underdrawings, hidden paintings, and areas of reworking—and unlike sampling, it's completely safe for the work of art.
When you view the paintings in the museum's Chinese art galleries, look closely at the colors. A trove of information is hidden in the brushstrokes.
Scientists at the National Museum of Asian Art have been studying pigments in the museum's collections since 1951. In a recent project, they traced the use of imported pigments in Chinese painting during the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911) dynasties as part of a larger effort that examined over two hundred paintings from the Song (960–1279) through the Qing dynasty. The research showed that within the museum's collections, paintings by professional portrait artists were most likely to contain these specially imported pigments, while landscapes, still life works, and other genre paintings used a familiar, traditional palette.
This dataset represents a first step toward understanding when new pigments were first used in China. Of the hundreds of synthetic dyes and pigments invented for artists in Europe from the eighteenth to the twentieth century, only a few appear in Chinese paintings in the Freer collection. Cochineal, a red color from an insect native to the Americas, was first used in textiles in China and isn’t found in paintings until the late eighteenth century. Prussian blue, discovered in Germany in 1704, hasn't been identified in Chinese paintings made before the mid-nineteenth century. An examination of how artists used these pigments also revealed various painting techniques: mixtures, layering, reverse painting, and glazing of an organic dye over a mineral pigment, to name just a few.
NMAA scientists are constantly exploring new techniques and technology to better understand our collections. In one method called hyperspectral imaging, currently being used in other research, a two-dimensional image is acquired at every wavelength of light, creating a three-dimensional data set. The process can identify pigments, including mixtures of pigments applied as one color, as well as pigments that have been painted over one another. It can also reveal underdrawings, hidden paintings, and areas of reworking—and unlike sampling, it's completely safe for the work of art.
Why does it matter?
In this mid-late nineteenth-century portrait, scientists identified Prussian blue mixed with cochineal in the cloud design on the courtier's robe. Prussian blue also appears as purple in the pattern on the carpet.
Art and science aren't always an obvious pairing, but scientific analysis offers critical data to inform our knowledge of the object, its history, and art history as a whole. Information provided by microscopy, spectroscopy, and many other techniques helps us understand the material circumstances that influenced the creation of an artwork. Synthesizing the results with historical and art historical information, we can discover the factors underlying artists' choices, giving us a glimpse into their environment and culture.
There are also important practical lessons to be learned. Some pigments are stable in light, while others fade very easily. Confirming the identity of pigments on the paintings in our collections is critical for their preservation. Pigments inform when and how long a work can be safely exhibited, how it should be lit when displayed, and whether it can travel. Advances in scientific research will help us protect our most fragile artworks for generations to come.
NMAA's Department of Conservation and Scientific Research is unique in structure—our museum is the only institution in the country with a laboratory of both conservators and scientists dedicated to Asian art. As staff members, our scientists enjoy a close and critical collaboration with curators and conservators. To conduct their research accurately, scientists depend on the date and attribution given to the paintings by curators. To ensure that the original pigments rather than the restoration materials are analyzed, conservators examine paintings for previous restoration. Each discipline contributes unique skills vital to understanding, interpreting, and preserving the collections, and together, they make NMAA a worldwide leader in the research and conservation of Asian art.
How can I learn more?
Whether you're a scientist, a scholar, or a curious learner, NMAA offers a range of programs to help you explore the intersections of science and art. The Forbes Symposia and Lectures on Scientific Research in the Field of Asian Art is a series that highlights recent scientific and technical studies of the arts of Asia and provides an important forum for international researchers to connect.
The findings of the pigment study have been published in a new book: Scientific Studies of Pigments in Chinese Paintings. You can learn more about the science right now with a free download, or you can purchase the book in softcover here.
If you have a budding scientist or artist (or both!) in your life, explore our Art & Me series. Children ages three to eight and their families can discover Asian art and conservation in fun, hands-on workshops.
How can I help?
Through scientific research, NMAA finds the traces of history in its collections—and importantly, learns how best to preserve these masterpieces for future generations. Your support provides the tools and technology that scientists, curators, and conservators need to continue advancing our knowledge of Asian art.
