134 The painting “Purgatory” of the Mary retable Since the paint layer is found under the nail heads as well, this mounting is not original. The original tacking margins or even more parts of the original format were lost when the painting was cut on all four sides after mounting it on the “strainer box”. Preparation The painting has a very thin brown, slightly greyish preparation layer, probably with an isolation layer on top (Fig. 205). No size underneath was found. Silicium and calcium were identified with EDX, which can be interpreted as a mixture of ochre and calcium carbonate or -sulfate.87 Paint layer The painting, presumably containing oil or tempera, was carried out in rather thin layers. The surface has a smooth appearance, although the paint body itself is quite coarse. The paintwork is mainly alla prima with a very detailed and precise design, e.g. single fine brush strokes as curls in the hair and eyelashes on the local color of the hair and incarnate. It was carried out in a fast, simple and experienced manner with clear brushstrokes. Lead white was identified as the main pigment of the incarnates, vermillion in the flames.88 Fig. 205: Cross-section (sample No P2/S5); The greyish preparation has a darker upper border, which could be an isolation layer. A thin layer of incarnate and the red layer for the flames follow (the measurement bar is 200 µm)
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