I like the works of the artists Leonardo da Vinci or Sandro Botticelli They survived the past years almost in their original form. where one would expect to see oil painting cracked or yellowed, are works of art that could have been painted much earlier. And all this, according to a study recently published in Connection with natureit’s thanks to yolk.
Leonardo da Vinci is often called the great renaissance manwho mastered many styles, from painting to science. But the truth is that he and other artists were some kind of alchemists. They knew how to mix different substances to get the perfect color. Or they might even mix adequate doses substances, usually very poisonous, to breathe life into his paintings. Now it seems that they also knew how to use certain products to make the oil painting stand the test of time.
We don’t know if they will test multiple ingredients, but it seems clear that in the end they found that the perfect one was yolk. Were found egg whites in many paintings by these artists. Initially, some of the scientists who discovered them thought it might be a coincidence. But no, now what they used them for has been found, and deep down we can thank them, because it is thanks to the egg yolk that today we can enjoy your art.
Egg yolk to preserve oil paint
Oil paint, as its name suggests, is based on the mixing of pigments with oil-based binders. It has already been used in ancient times; but, no doubt, he gained great fame thanks to the works artists such as Leonardo da Vinci.
The problem is that, as with other techniques, oil painting can be deteriorate over time. Perhaps da Vinci and other artists knew about this. For this reason, they researched until they found a very affordable and really useful preservative. So much so that his works have survived to this day with little or no restoration.
The authors of the study, which has just been published, confirmed that this is due to several reasons. Egg whites to start waterproof paint, so that it does not absorb excess water in a humid environment. Except, prevent yellowing and prevent wrinkling of the oil as it dries. And for all this, only a very small amount of egg yolk is enough. You won’t have to spend much in the process.
Therefore, his presence in the paintings of these artists was not accidental. In fact, it was so useful that it could inspire restaurateurs today. Of course, given that we currently know all the risks handle raw eggs, the ideal would be to stick to only those proteins that are beneficial. We would be left with the survival benefits of oil painting but without the risk of infection from bacteria such as salmonella. All of them are advantages.
Source: Hiper Textual
