Multi-Analytical Investigation of the Oil Painting “Il Venditore di Cerini” by Antonio Mancini and Definition of the Best Green Cleaning Treatment

Abstract

This paper describes the multi-analytical approach implemented for the study of the oil painting Il Venditore di Cerini made by Antonio Mancini in 1878. The research was carried out to characterize both the original stratigraphy and the alleged non-original varnish on the surface. SEM/EDS analysis showed the presence of pigments already detected in other paintings by Antonio Mancini. Multispectral imaging, DinoLite microscope, and FT-IR ATR spectroscopy revealed significant data regarding the invention of the “graticola” method—a technique implemented by Mancini to respect the proportions of the figures—also proving the presence of an aged layer of non-original shellac on the surface. The yellow/brownish tone of the varnish was hiding the real shapes of the figure, requiring a selective removal of the aged coating. The proposed cleaning systems were chosen among the green chemical alternatives present in the market, aiming at promoting a sustainable development in the Cultural Heritage field. The selection was made according to the Fd parameter of the cleaning systems—which defines the energy from dispersion forces between molecules—in relation to what is defined in the literature as the suitable Fd value for the removal of the shellac. The best-performing green cleaning system proved to be the Polar Varnish Rescue GEL—a gelled acetals mixture developed by YOCOCU APS—for its effectiveness in selectively remove the aged shellac while preserving the integrity of the original stratigraphy.