Tracking the ravages of time: Aging mechanism of historical chrome yellow pigments revealed
Tuesday, October 8, 2013 - 07:00
in Paleontology & Archaeology
(Phys.org) —The discoloration of some pigments used in impressionist paintings has been observed since the 19th century. Belgian researchers have now investigated how the colors of chrome yellow pigments change on both the micro- and nanometer scales. In the journal Angewandte Chemie, they reveal the likely mechanism for the reaction that is slowly but surely changing the bright yellows of van Gogh's Sunflowers to an unsightly brown.