In the early 2000s, conservators at Statens Museum for Kunst discovered alarming darkening of painted white highlights on Old Master drawings. This issue affects around half of the 800 works at the museum, which holds a significant collection numbering 18,000. Discoloration of lead white pigment is a rarity in oil paintings, leading to investigations into artistic methods or materials that could contribute to the vulnerability. The research employs various advanced imaging techniques to understand the degradation and devise protective measures for the collection.
Conservators at Statens Museum for Kunst discovered that white highlights on Old Master drawings are darkening rapidly, causing them to lose their meaning and appearance.
The discoloration primarily affects works with lead white highlights, such as chalk and pencil drawings. About half of the 800 affected works at SMK have experienced some degree of discoloration.
Lead white pigment, historically favored for its qualities, has seen changes in sourcing and production over time due to health concerns, impacting its stability in artworks.
The research team employed nondestructive imaging technologies to investigate why certain artworks were more vulnerable to discoloration, indicating a potential relationship with artistic methods.
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