Using X-ray technology, researchers from the Center national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS), led by Victor Gonzalez, examined a micro-sample from Leonardo da Vinci's most famous work, the Mona Lisa, focusing on the base layer of the painting. The results of the analysis were published last week in the renowned Journal of the American Chemical Society.
Related: New Secrets About Mona Lisa Revealed
Part of the speculation was that Leonardo used lead oxide powder in the base coat. When painting on wood, in the case of the Mona Lisa he used poplar wood, it is necessary to carefully apply a primer. The current investigations discovered the rare chemical compound plumbonacrite, consisting of lead, water, acid and carbon. This confirms that Leonardo actually used lead oxide powder in his white lead primer to thicken the paint layers and allow them to dry more quickly, showing his willingness to experiment and his sense of innovation.
Related: Mona Lisa: Art History's Ultimate Muse
Plumbonacrite is very rarely found in Old Master paintings. In 2019, however, it was detected in the impasto layers of three of Rembrandt's paintings (the study was also carried out under the direction of Victor Gonzalez). The recent discovery in Leonardo's Mona Lisa underlines how special techniques and recipes were passed down and developed across many generations of artists.
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