The project ZOoMM concerns the multidimensional analysis of zinc white; main aim is to investigate if and how the properties of the pigment change according to synthesis method/conditions and correlate micro-properties to the macro-properties appreciated by the artist and ruling the behavior of the pigment in artworks, in order to gather information and insights for conservation and authentication of artworks.
It is object of a PhD thesis started in October 2020 at Université Paris-Saclay within a cross-collaboration between the Centre de Recherche et Restauration des Musées de France (C2RMF) and IPANEMA, located at the site of the synchrotron SOLEIL.
Besides the analysis of a corpus of historical materials and artworks, the project aims at building a broader historical-artistic context to interpret the data and better address the research needs on zinc white among museum professionals, heritage scientists, curators and restorers. For this purpose we launched a survey on the use of zinc white among 19th-20th century artists, which will also constitute valuable information for the work with a student of the école du Louvre starting in September 2021.
We would truly appreciate your support to our research, and pleas feel free to share the link to the survey with anyone may be interested.