publications
I share here what I have been reading, articles or books, but also the experiences that I make, to reproduce these old techniques of map-making.
Published articles
Colors & Pigments
Micro-Raman and particle-induced X-ray emission spectroscopy for the study of pigments and degradation products present in 17th century coloured maps, Nuno Mendes, 2008
This article reports the results of the analysis of three 17th century maps using two spectroscopic methods. It contributes to a better knowledge of the techniques and palettes used for the coloring of maps of this period as well as the degradation of the pigments.
Read More
Putting the World in Its “Proper Colour”: Exploring Hand-Coloring in Early Modern Maps, Stephanie Elizabeth Stillo, 2016
This article explores the utility of X-Ray Florescence (XRF) in identifying pigments used in early modern hand-colored prints.
L’enluminure des cartes et des atlas imprimés XVIe-XVIIIe siècle, Catherine Hofmann, 1999
(article in French) Illumination (enluminure) is the art of putting color on prints. The author discusses the techniques of illumination of printed maps and atlases and their evolution over these three centuries. She discusses the colors used and the manner in which the maps are “colored”, in the Flemish, Dutch or French way.
The Trade in Blue During the 17th Century: An examination of the Western European pigment trade in Azurite, Indigo, Lapis Lazuli and Smalt during the 17 th Century through works in the Collection of the National Gallery, London, Mira S. de Roo, 2004
In this thesis, we discover the nature of the trade in blue pigments in the 17th century, through the examination of works preserved in the Collection of the National Gallery of London. It describes the pigments available during the period and their place of origin, but also the factors that influenced the use of these pigments, whether they were of social and cultural nature (taste, religion, and art market) or other factors such as war, laws, and even climate.
Français