Advances in chemical studies and the analysis of works of art continue to evolve and surprise us. Thanks to this, every day interesting discoveries arise that help us to deepen our understanding of art or to find art sites and be able to calculate their antiquity.

On this occasion, the famous Mona Lisa went through some chemical studies, in order to analyze the components that can be found both in the pigments and in the preparation of the canvas and varnish.

In the case of Da Vinci, it has been seen that his works are different in the compounds that the artist used to make them, it is known that he was someone with a lot of curiosity, great affinity for experimenting and to invent. This led him to carry out his experiments in his works, not only in technique, but also in materials.

What was found in the Gioconda was Plumbonacrita, a mineral that contains lead and has a shape similar to pearls, whose use is attributed to good lighting in the works and brightness in the pigments. This has been identified before in paintings by artists such as Rembrandt and Van Gogh, however, this is the first time that its use has been recorded in a Renaissance work and today it is the only one among the paintings of Da Vinci in which it is found.

This discovery adds one more step between the contributions to the disciplines of history and restoration of art, which are essential today for the preservation of the pictorial heritage that we have inherited.

Source: artnews.