The role of restoration and scientific examination for the accurate attribution of a European painting in South America

Abstract

Abstract: This work presents the interdisciplinary research and intervention of a big format painting attributed to Salvator Rosa. In addition to the challenging nature of the restoration, due to its format and state of conservation, the painting is a good example of the proliferation of art commerce in Argentina by the end of nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Art collection and art dealing in this particular period has been studied from the historical point of view; however, extensive material investigation on the paintings that arrived in Argentina in this period of time has not been performed yet. When these pieces go from the private sphere to the collections of public institutions, it is important to conduct an in-depth investigation about them, to offer accurate information and to insert cultural heritage pieces into historical and national context. Restoration led to a deeper comprehension of the painting’s historical and technical features; the pigment samples analyzed by Raman spectroscopy and polarized light microscopy, together with the contributions of the restoration field, cast a doubt over the Salvator Rosa attribution. However, considering technical aspects like the artisanal grinding of pigments, how the color was applied and the absence of synthetic pigments in the original layers, as well as the relationship between iconography and format, the piece can be identified as a no later than eighteenth century European painting. It is doubtful that the piece was made with intentions of forgery; however, it is more likely that the attribution comes from fraudulent documents and registration when the painting was sold.