The article presents an exploratory analytical study of a 20th-century Portuguese mural painting by Júlio Resende. The research utilised various techniques such as optical microscopy, visible spectrophotometry, handheld X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (hXRF), dark field OM, SEM-EDS, and µ-FTIR to analyse the painting’s materials and techniques. The study revealed that the mural was executed in a lime fresco technique, with the use of cobalt blue, ochres, chromium green, green earth, and barium white pigments. Additionally, the presence of chrome orange and cadmium-based pigments was hypothesised.
Detailed analysis of the plaster layering method showed tool marks, nail marks, and giornate mapping, providing insights into the composition process. Pigment identification in micro samples uncovered calcite, calcium oxalates, barite, quartz, kaolinite, gypsum, celadonite, iron, and manganese oxides. The findings shed light on Resende’s traditional approach to mural painting, aligning with classical techniques rather than experimental methods.
The study’s significance lies in unveiling Resende’s modus operandi and materials, contributing to future conservation efforts and enabling comparisons with his other works and contemporary artists. Overall, this research provides valuable insights into the artistic techniques and materials used by one of Portugal’s most renowned artists of the 20th century, Júlio Resende, in his mural painting, “Pentecost’s.”
