PARIS — Samples from Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” and the “Last Supper” suggested that the artist experimented with lead oxide, the Journal of the American Chemical Society said in research that was published Wednesday. Lead oxide causes a rare compound to form under his artwork which is called plumbonacrite.
Plumbonacrite had reportedly not been detected in Italian Renaissance paintings but was later found in Rembrandt’s paintings in the 1600s, the Journal of the American Chemical Society said.
“Plumbonacrite is really a fingerprint of his recipe,” Victor Gonzalez, the study’s lead author and a chemist at France’s top research body, the CNR, said, according to The Associated Press. “It’s the first time we can actually chemically confirm it.”
“Plumbonacrite is only stable under alkaline conditions, suggesting that it formed from a reaction between the oil and lead(II) oxide (PbO), the Journal of the American Chemical Society said. Intact grains of PbO were also found in most of the samples taken from the “Last Supper.”
Journal of the American Chemical Society said that a “microsample” which was previously obtained from a hidden corner of the “Mona Lisa” was analyzed as well as 17 other microsamples from the “Last Supper.”
To find this, scientists used X-rays to inspect the art in order to get an idea of what techniques da Vinci used, according to the AP. Thus, they learned that he may have been feeling extra experimental when making the “Mona Lisa.”
The oil-paint recipe that da Vinci used for his artwork was different from the “Mona Lisa” which had its own chemical signature, according to the AP. This was discovered by scientists and art historians in both France and Britain.
“He was someone who loved to experiment, and each of his paintings is completely different technically,” said Gonzalez, according to the AP.
“In this case, it’s interesting to see that indeed there is a specific technique for the ground layer of ‘Mona Lisa,’” Gonzalez said in an interview with the AP.
“There are plenty, plenty more things to discover, for sure. We are barely scratching the surface,” Gonzalez said, according to the AP. “What we are saying is just a little brick more in the knowledge.”
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