Degradation von Chromgelb und Cadmiumsulfid an Werken bildender Kunst

Schadensphänomene, Ursachen und Prävention

Abstract

Degradation of chrome yellow and cadmium sulphide on works of fine art.Damage phenomena, causes and prevention
Industrial paint production at the end of the 19th century favoured the development and distribution of a previously unknown variety of colours. Although longterm experience with the new colours was not available to artists, these products, widely traded as tube paints, nevertheless enjoyed high usage. Not only among the great painters at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, but also among the lesser known artists in the provinces, we find chrome yellow and cadmium sulfide in the works of the fine arts. Both, the sometimes unsuitable storage and unfavourable environmental conditions of the works painted with them are responsible for their degradation, and the pigments themselves are not stable finished products. The article focuses on damage phenomena and their causes as well as practical preventive measures.