EL GRECO From Italy to Toledo

Click on each painting to display the layers.

Cross-section seen under a scanning electron microscope [SEM] of a microsample taken from the Virgin's blue mantle (G: ground, P: primer, PT: paint layer). Right, the EDS spectrum obtained after analysing the primer layer (I) in which we detect elements like cobalt (Co) and copper (CU) from the smalt and azurite added as palette residue, along with the elements Fe, Ca, K, Si, Al and Na present in ochres.