Analysis of Works on Tracing Paper from a Collection of Drawings by Lithuanian Artists

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Birutė Giedraitienė, Medeina Steponavičiūtė ANALYSIS OF WORKS ON TRACING PAPER FROM A COLLECTION OF DRAWINGS BY LITHUANIAN ARTISTS

Résumé s’étend de 1748 a 1970 et comprend 2386 œuvres conservées. Elle contient 24 œuvres Les fonds de la bibliothe`que “Vrublevski- de peintres du 19 sie`cle, effectuées sur pa- ai” de l’Académie des sciences de Lituanie pier calque. Les œuvres ont été analysées disposent de dossiers documentaires de en appliquant les méthodes de microscopie valeur, partie du patrimoine culturel, parmi optique, de ATR-FTIR et de SEM-EDX. Le pH lesquels se trouve une collection de tab- du papier calque a été mesuré, les matie`res leaux et d’esquisses des peintres lituaniens composantes, non organiques et celles qui (signature LMAVB RS F320) conservée au ont été utilisées pour réaliser une copie ont Fonds des manuscrits. Cette collection été identifiées.

Keywords: tracing paper, ATR-FTIR, SEM-EDX

Analysis of works on tracing paper from Smuglewicz, Jan Rustem, Kanuty Rusiecki a collection of drawings by Lithuanian (Fig. 1), Bolesław Rusiecki, Römers, Ivan artists Trutnev, Lew Antokolski, and others. Re- cently, the collection has attracted the at- he Wroblewski Library of the Lithu- tention of art scientists and historians of anian Academy of Sciences (here- art and culture from various Lithuanian Tinafter referred to as the Library) and foreign institutions. has many valuable sets of cultural herit- Tracing paper (also called transparent age documents. One of them is The col- paper), as a support is not much investigat- lection of drawings and sketches by Lithu- ed in Lithuania, although documents on this anian artists (signature LMAVB RS F320). type of paper are stored in many cultural Covering the period from 1748 to 1970, it heritage institutions in the country. is stored in the Manuscript Fund of the Although tracing paper is a relatively Library and contains 2386 storage units. fragile type of support, sometimes the art- This is a collection of different genres work made on it remains longer than a that of works by authors who have lived and on painted canvas does. For example, three worked in the territory of the former Lith - of the collection drawings stored in the Li- uania and Poland. The collection includes brary, are the draft versions of the religious works by famous artists, such as Franciszek painting Evening at the Gate of Dawn,

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Ralph Wedgwood) did its production and use increase dramatically, starting from 1820. The production of all types of tracing paper is based on two main methods: 1) paper fibre or wet pulp is beaten to break and shrink the fibres and thus reduce the porosity and increase the transparency of paper, 2) already produced paper is coated or filled with a particular material that makes the paper transparent. The following types of tracing paper are known: • Parchment imitation – wood pulp is beaten for a long time, giving the end product transparency and resistance to water and dirt. • Parchment paper (vegetable parchment) – is a type of paper, for which sul- furic acid or zinc chloride is used during its production. • Oiled paper – paper is soaked in flax- Fig. 1. Kanuty Rusiecki (1800–1860). Head sketch seed or other oil. for the famous painting The Reaper. The 1850s. • Resin paper – paper is soaked in resins. Tracing paper, ink, graphite pencil, 39×25.5 cm. • Onion skin – thin, slightly polished / LMAVB RS 320 1605 glazed translucent paper, called this due created by the famous student of Vilnius art to its resemblance to the thin outer shell school: Kanuty Rusiecki.1 of an onion. • Manifold paper – the surface of the paper is coated with a layer of pigments History of tracing paper (usually carbon fibre); the paper is soaked in oil to make it resistant and The beginning of the use of tracing paper transparent. (also called transparent paper) in art is as- • Waxed paper – the paper is soaked in a sociated with the Renaissance period. In his molten wax or paraffin bath. tract Il libro dell’arte, an Italian painter, Cen- nino d’Andrea Cennini, mentions a type of paper that, when coated with the flaxseed Results and discussion oil, can be used for copying works of art. Up until the 19th century, tracing paper was The object of this research is twenty-four not widespread and had no strictly defined works from the Collection LMAVB RS F320 requirements for its properties and was of- by 19th-century artists, created on tracing pa- ten produced by the users themselves. Only per. The works were investigated using ATR- when the industrial production method FTIR, SEM-EDX, and optical microscopy tech- of tracing paper was invented (in 1806 by niques. Different parts of the artworks (paper used, materials used for its production, 1 I. Pajedaitė, ‘Lietuvos dailininkų piešinių ir eskizų kolek- as well as tools for drawing on it) were exam- cija‘, in: Bibliografija: mokslo darbai. 2008/09, (2011), ined and their composition determined. 82-94.

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Table 1. Results of analysis

Material used for Paper No. Metric pH Protein Starch Coating/ Impregnant Inorganic coating copying base LMAVB RS 1. 6,8 - + - - Charcoal pencil Cellulose F320-1571 LMAVB RS 2. 6,7 - + Vegetable oil - Charcoal pencil Cellulose F320-1597 LMAVB RS Venetian turpentine, Charcoal pencil, 3. 5,7 - + - Cellulose F320-1607 Damara?,Oil (linseed?) graphite LMAVB RS 6,1 Graphite pencil, 4. - + Oil (linseed?) - Cellulose F320-1614 (5,5) HgS LMAVB RS Damara, Venetian 5. 6,8 - + - Charcoal pencil Cellulose F320-1685 turpentine? LMAVB RS 6. 6,8 - + Wax? PbCrO Charcoal pencil Cellulose F320-1726 4 LMAVB RS Graphite, 7. 6,2 - + - - Cellulose F320-1728 charcoal pencil? LMAVB RS Graphite pencil 8. 7,3 - + - - Cellulose F320-1761 , sanguine LMAVB RS 9. 6,4 - + Oil Carbon Graphite pencil Cellulose F320-1762 LMAVB RS Graphite, 10. 6,6 - + Oil - Cellulose F320-1765 charcoal pencil? LMAVB RS Graphite pencil, 11. 5,3 - + Oil (linseed?) - Cellulose F320-1944 ink (Fe) LMAVB RS Graphite pencil, 12. 6,6 - + Oil (linseed?) - Cellulose F320-1184 ink (Fe) LMAVB RS 13. 6,5 - + Oil - Graphite pencil Cellulose F320-1678 LMAVB RS Damara, Venetian Charcoal pencil, 14. 6,9 - + - Cellulose F320-1679 turpentine? ink LMAVB RS Damara, Venetian Charcoal pencil, 15. 6,1 - + - Cellulose F320-1733 turpentine? sanguine LMAVB RS Charcoal pencil, 16. 7,1 - + - - Cellulose F320-1632 ink LMAVB RS Graphite, 17. 7,0 - + Oil (linseed?) - Cellulose F320-742 charcoal pencil LMAVB RS 18. 6,9 - + - - Pencil, sanguine Cellulose F320-1555 LMAVB RS Charcoal pencil, 19. 6,8 - + - - Cellulose F320-1681 sanguine

LMAVB RS Fe2O3 /FeO(OH)/ 20. 6,2 - + Oil (linseed?) Graphite pencil Cellulose F320-1603 PbCrO4 LMAVB RS Graphite pencil, 21. 6,6 - + - - Cellulose F320-1605 ink LMAVB RS Graphite pencil, 22. 6,6 - + - - Cellulose F320-1560 sanguine LMAVB RS Graphite pencil, 23. 6,9 - + - - Cellulose F320-1613 ink LMAVB RS Damara, Venetian 24. 6,3 - + - Pencil, ink Cellulose F320-1570 turpentine

Following analysis of the paper of the LMAVB RS F320-1607. A lower pH value of drawings, it was defined that in most cas- paper in document LMAVB RS F320-1614 es, irrespective of the original production can be linked with the HgS pigment used method, the papers’ pH is neutral or close in drawing process; in document LMAVB RS to neutral. More significant changes of pH F320-1944 with ink destruction; LMAVB RS are noticeable in cases of documents LMA- F320-1607 with the destruction of paper im- VB RS F320-1614, LMAVB RS F320-1944, and pregnation material (oil).

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Inorganic coatings (PbCrO4 (document LMAVB RS F320-1726), carbon (document

LMAVB RS F320-1762) and Fe2O3/FeO(OH)/

PbCrO4 (document LMAVB RS F320-1603)) have no significant influence on papers’ pH. Prevailing pH values in tracing paper are close to neutral. This shows that in many cases, from the chemical point of view, paper is rather stable. Mechanical damage is the main problem. It is defined that in the production process of tracing paper, starch was used as a sizing material. For impregnation coating, various oils, turpentine, and damara resin were used; in the case of document LMAVB RS F320-1726, wax might have been used. Information achieved in the course of the investigation about the composition of tracing paper documents and materials for copying aids the restorers in learning more about the objects, and in choosing suitable methods and materials for conservation and restoration. The results of the analysis are presented in the table 1.

Acknowledgement For consultation, to Ingrida Pajedaitė, ju nior researcher, the Wroblewski Library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences, Manu- scripts Department.

Birutė GIEDRAITIENĖ The Wroblewski Library of the Lithuanian Acad- emy of Sciences, Žygimantų g. 1, LT-01102 Vilni- us, Lithuania [email protected]

Medeina STEPONAVIČIŪTĖ National Museum – Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, Katedros a. 4, LT – 01143 Vilnius, Lithuania [email protected]

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