After analysing one of the greatest works by famous Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh, Belgian scientists have identified a very rare mineral that is turning his paintings white. The team, headed by Koen Janssens from the University of Antwerp in Belgium, identified plumbonacrite in one of his paintings, clarifying the degradation process of red lead that causes this bleaching of the colour, turning it white.
“This is the first time that this substance has been found in a painting from before the mid-20th century,” reported Frederik Vanmeert, first author of the paper.“Our discovery sheds new light on the bleaching process of red lead,” he added. Red lead is a lead oxide whose colour varies over time. Artists have treasured the brilliant colour of red lead for their paintings since ancient times.