IDENTITY

Head of Peasant — Technical Pigment Analysis

Nuenen, 1885

Content Summary

Technical analysis of Head of Peasant (F163/JH687), painted at Nuenen in March–April 1885, identifies lead white, zinc white, Naples yellow, vermilion, ivory black and iron-based pigments, with ultramarine considered probable, while also examining their distribution across flesh tones, shadows and highlights.

CONTEXT

Topics

Technical, Pigment Analysis, Nuenen Palette, Flesh Tones, Simultaneous Contrast, Paint Layering, Lead White, Zinc White, Naples Yellow, Vermilion, Ivory Black, Ultramarine

Materials & Pigments

Lead white, Zinc white, Naples yellow, Vermilion, Ivory black, Ultramarine, Iron oxide/hydroxide pigments, Organic red

Related People

Vincent van Gogh

Paintings

Head of Peasant (F163/JH687)

RESEARCH

Quotation

Research Focus

The study provides independent material evidence for Van Gogh’s Nuenen palette and shows how particular pigments were distributed to construct flesh, shadow, highlights and simultaneous colour contrasts, allowing documentary accounts of his early colour practice to be compared with the physical evidence of a surviving painting.

Related Work / Relevance

SOURCES & EVIDENCE

Source Type

Technical Study

Source

Defeyt et al. (2020), “Survey on Van Gogh’s early painting technique through the non-invasive and multi analytical study of Head of peasant”

Source Edition

npj Heritage Science 8, Article 104 (2020)

Source URL

https://www.nature.com/articles/s40494-020-00445-5

Evidence Type

Technical Research