Enamel Paints: A Study of the Elemental Composition of Artistic Paints for the Enamels of the 19th–21st centuries Using Scanning Electron Microscopy and X-ray Fluorescence Analysis
Keywords:
enamel, firing, overglaze paints, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray fluorescence analysis, elemental compositionAbstract
Following the replacement of cloisonné enamel, enamel painting emerged as a distinct artistic medium, characterized by the use of specialized paints analogous to those employed in painting on canvas. This transformation of enamel art into a distinct painting genre is a significant development in the history of visual arts. In the 18th century, masters used colored enamels for painting, and in the 19th century, overglaze paints for porcelain painting began to be used for painting enamel, which were powders from crushed ready-made colored enamels. The increase in demand for porcelain products contributed to the expansion of the color palette. With the discovery of new chemical elements, new pigments began to appear. Some of the emerging pigments gradually entered the palettes of porcelain painters, and, consequently, were used in enamel paints. This study is devoted to the results obtained with the help of modern analytical devices, the study of the elemental composition of the paint layer from museum exhibits with enamel of the 19th–21st centuries, clearly demonstrating what pigments in the composition of paints could be used by enamel masters in different historical periods. Particular attention has been paid to identifying some late pigments that were not previously used in enamel painting, since their use may be associated with the destruction of the paint layer of the 20th century Rostov enamels.
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