Pozzi et al. Herit Sci (2021) 9:15 https://doi.org/10.1186/s40494-021-00489-1 RESEARCH ARTICLE Open Access Altered identity: feeting colors and obscured surfaces in Van Gogh’s Landscapes in Paris, Arles, and Saint‑Rémy Federica Pozzi1* , Elena Basso1 , Silvia A. Centeno1 , Louisa M. Smieska2, Nobuko Shibayama1, Roy Berns3, Megan Fontanella4 and Lena Stringari4 Abstract The Thannhauser Collection of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, represents an important survey of European avant-garde art production during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Among the works included in this collection are three paintings by Vincent van Gogh, namely Roadway with Underpass (1887), Landscape with Snow (1888), and Mountains at Saint-Rémy (1889). These examples each exhibit some degree of surface alteration, including fading of specifc pigments and, in one case, a non-original, discolored varnish, resulting in obscured color and spatial relationships, as well as being the subject of questions regarding authenticity in the case of the two earlier pictures. Initial examination involved documentation of the brushwork, paint quality, and distribution of colors under magnif- cation. Infrared (IR) and ultraviolet (UV) photography, as well as X-radiography, provided additional information on the surface coatings, the structure of the works, and their supports. Subsequently, an in-depth scientifc investigation of the ground and paint layers, with a special focus on fading colors and altered surfaces, was carried out non-invasively with point and macro-X-ray fuorescence (XRF) spectroscopy, visible refection spectroscopy, and multi-channel visible spectrum four-light imaging, followed by the analysis of cross sections and dispersed pigment samples by means of optical microscopy, transmission Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopies, and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDS), as well as high-performance liquid chro- matography with photodiode array detection (HPLC-PDA) and pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py- GC/MS). Results indicated that both the brushwork and artist’s palette of all three paintings are consistent with data previously reported for other Van Gogh works and with pigments described in the artist’s letters to his friends and his brother Theo. Most notably, evidence of biodeterioration and paint alteration phenomena was found on Roadway with Underpass, while specifc pigments such as eosin red—historically sold as geranium lake—were detected in areas of Landscape with Snow and Mountains at Saint-Rémy that display severe fading. In addition to assisting the develop- ment of a suitable plan for the conservation of the 1887 painting, this study traces the progression of Van Gogh’s prac- tice over three years critical to his artistic development, discusses the historical context in which each masterpiece was created, identifes the range of materials and techniques used, and addresses authenticity questions by providing a comparison with results of scientifc analysis from other similar works. Keywords: Van Gogh, Painting, Ground, Palette, Surface degradation, Fading, Eosin, Biodeterioration, Authenticity Introduction Te Tannhauser Collection of the Solomon R. Guggen- *Correspondence: [email protected] heim Museum, New York, represents an important sur- 1 Department of Scientifc Research, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, vey of European avant-garde art production during the 1000 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10028, USA Full list of author information is available at the end of the article late 19th and early 20th centuries. Among the works © The Author(s) 2021. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creat​iveco​ mmons​.org/licen​ses/by/4.0/. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creat​iveco​mmons​.org/publi​cdoma​in/ zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated in a credit line to the data. Pozzi et al. Herit Sci (2021) 9:15 Page 2 of 19 included in this collection are three paintings by Vincent Dutch period paintings, despite the brightly colored pal- van Gogh (1853–1890) spanning the fnal three years of ette. Furthermore, the surface treatment and its sub- his life: Roadway with Underpass (around mid to late sequent degradation shifted the global tonality of the summer 1887; Fig. 1a), painted in Paris and refecting the composition from cool to warm. artist’s encounters with French Impressionism and Post- Te use of red organic lake pigments by Van Gogh dur- Impressionism; Landscape with Snow (February 1888; ing diferent periods of his life and the impact of their Fig. 1b), among the frst paintings completed upon Van permanence on many of his paintings has been widely Gogh’s arrival in Arles; and Mountains at Saint-Rémy assessed by numerous authors [1–10]. Among these red (July 1889; Fig. 1c), executed during his convalescence at lake pigments, eosin red, commercially known as gera- Saint-Paul-de Mausole in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. nium lake and one of the most prone to fading, has been Several leading questions regarding the materials the focus of relatively recent studies aiming to elucidate composition and related degradation processes deter- the diferent factors that afect deterioration [11–13]. mined the primary scope of this study. All three paint- Te darkening of lead chromate-based yellows is another ings exhibit some degree of surface alteration, including phenomenon widely reported for Van Gogh works, such fading of certain red organic lake pigments—phenomena as the diferent versions of his iconic Sunfowers, which that are discussed and referenced below. Most notably, has been investigated both in samples removed from Landscape with Snow has lost some of the bold efects of paintings and in model paint systems with the purpose to Van Gogh’s signature use of complementary colors, such clarify the mechanism of degradation [14–17]. as pink next to green and yellow adjacent to purple. Te In addition to materials-related questions, the Guggen- painting no longer retains its original, vibrant juxtapo- heim works pose outstanding issues regarding prov- sitions of hues due to the fading of photosensitive pig- enance and authenticity, largely due to the fact that the ments. Under the microscope, bright pinks and purples two earlier paintings appeared on the art market in Ger- can be observed through cracks in the surface. Likewise, many around the same time as the notorious 1928 con- Mountains at Saint-Rémy is characterized by an overall troversy concerning Van Gogh forgeries, known as the blue palette that appears to be missing some of the red Wacker afair [18–20]. In the sequence of events, Otto hues. Moreover, Roadway with Underpass had a thick, Wacker, an art dealer and former professional dancer, discolored varnish that, until it was removed during a frst came under investigation in 1928, when the art deal- major conservation treatment in 2018, covered a thin, ers Grete Ring and Walter Feilchenfeldt declared to be uneven, brownish-gray layer trapped in the troughs of fakes the four pictures Wacker had lent to an exhibition impasto. Presumably applied to cover abraded areas from at the Paul Cassirer gallery in Berlin. Te number of ques- an earlier restoration, this layer penetrated regions of tionable Van Gogh paintings originating with Wacker exposed ground, and saturation by the varnish accentu- soon swelled to more than thirty. Te police raided the ated its appearance. Overall, these coatings rendered the studio of Otto’s brother, Leonhard Wacker, a restorer, and painting dark and brooding, closer to Van Gogh’s earlier found in progress studies after Van Gogh compositions, Fig. 1 Paintings by Vincent van Gogh analyzed in this study. a Roadway with Underpass (Le Viaduct), Asnières, 1887. Oil on cardboard, 12 7/8 16 × 1/8 inches (32.7 41 cm). Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, Thannhauser Collection, Gift, Justin K. Thannhauser 78.2514.17. b Landscape × with Snow (Paysage Enneigé), Arles, February 1888. Oil on canvas, 15 1/16 18 3/16 inches (38.2 46.2 cm). Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New × × York, Thannhauser Collection, Gift, Hilde Thannhauser 84.3239. c Mountains at Saint-Rémy (Montagnes à Saint-Rémy), Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, July 1889. Oil on canvas, 28 11/16 36 1/4 inches (72.8 92 cm). Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, Thannhauser Collection, Gift, Justin K. × × Thannhauser 78.2514.24 © Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, New York Pozzi et al. Herit Sci (2021) 9:15 Page 3 of 19 although Leonhard never admitted his involvement in whose provenance and authenticity were not in question, the forgeries that his brother Otto brought to market. At to the Guggenheim in 1978, following a promised gift the time, scientifc analysis and testimony solidifed the and extended loan. case against Otto Wacker, who was charged with fraud. In this context, an in-depth technical study of the three However, concerns and confusion remain over the meth- Van Gogh paintings at the Guggenheim involved visual odologies employed and the designation of fakes associ- documentation and scientifc analysis of the surface coat- ated with Wacker, though attempts have been made to ings and degradation materials, ground and paint lay- document the pictures [21].