Did you know that each brushstroke hides a secret?
The study of materials of the work investigates the real composition of each layer. The materials analysis was carried out to determine the composition of the original materials used in the painting and how they are distributed in the various layers.
The information obtained from this analysis is useful for understanding the pictorial technique that the artist used. Each of the micro-samples contains true and reliable evidence of the materials Ghirlandaio used in this work.
Red decorative elements on the dress: above the ground of plaster and glue (1) we find a primer of white lead and linseed oil (2), over which a glaze of aluminium oxide and white lead mixed with red dye was applied (3), followed by small brushstrokes of red earth and vermillion bound with drying oil and egg (4). Finally, we see the thick layer of varnish (5).
