Eleonora Maniccia

This study investigates water-based gel and gel-like cleaning treatments on Superficie 553, an oil painting on canvas by Giuseppe Capogrossi, using portable NMR to assess their impact. The objective was to evaluate the effects of four cleaning systems composed of a buffer solution released in free form and combined with xanthan gum, a cross-linked silicone polymer gel, and an agar gel matrix. Two distinct NMR experiments were conducted. The first involved the acquisition of ¹H depth profiles to detect the distribution of the cleaning solution within the painted layer and the thickness variations resulting from cleaning procedures. The second employed the acquisition of relaxation times, facilitating the investigation of molecular mobility within the organic components of the paint layer. NMR results indicated that the agar gel system caused negligible structural changes, whereas the silicone gel induced rigidification, and the other systems permanently increased molecular mobility. These measurements provided insights into alterations in the dynamic behavior of the polymerized oil. A key strength of this investigation lies in the direct application of diagnostic methods on Superficie 553, made possible by the non-invasive nature and portability of the NMR-MOUSE system. Additionally, portable FTIR was used to detect residues and obtain chemical information, confirming that the silicone gel left detectable residues and identifying the agar gel as the most conservative cleaning method. This enabled in situ analysis of the original artwork without sampling or relocation—a crucial advantage given the difficulty of replicating the complex physicochemical conditions of historical paint surfaces under laboratory constraints. Such real-time, on-site monitoring ensured an authentic evaluation of the treatment effects, preserving the integrity of the artwork throughout the conservation process.

We present the results of a diagnostic campaign on three of Giuseppe Capogrossi’s abstract paintings from the 1950s and 1960s, conserved at the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rome. Non-invasive investigations by reflection FT-IR spectroscopy were carried out, followed by micro-destructive laboratory analyses using Py-GC-MS, and HPLC-ESI-Q-ToF. The investigations focused on identifying the binders used for both the preparation and the pictorial layers. In two of the paintings investigated, an industrial preparation was identified based on egg yolk, mixed with other organic materials (acryl resin, oil, animal glue). The paint media include the use of both oil and alkyd paint. In one of the three paintings, the presence of a styrene-acryl resin was observed. The results show the simultaneous use of traditional and innovative materials, confirming the complexity of the period in which the artist was active, characterized by the technical experimentation of both the artists and manufacturers. The research also contributes to a better understanding of Giuseppe Capogrossi’s artistic profile, from the point of view of executive techniques.