Pigments and Inks Applied in Juan Vespucci’s Portolan Chart (1520)

A rare 16th-century portolan chart by Juan Vespucci, dated 1520 and housed at the Archivo General de Indias in Seville, reveals a sophisticated palette of pigments and inks. Non-invasive techniques, including infrared/ultraviolet light analysis, digital microscopy, and X-ray fluorescence (XRF), identified lead white as the base layer, with vermilion, yellow ochre, azurite, copper-based green, and carbon black used for decorative elements. Iron-gall ink was likely employed for text, while gilded wind roses featured thin golden leaves on a glue mixture. The study also detected 19th/20th-century retouches using zinc and titanium whites, along with cobalt blue, providing insights into the map's conservation history.

Kriznar, A., Ager, F., Macías, L. R., Ortega Feliu, I., Tubío, B. G., & Respaldiza, M. Á. (2022). Pigments and Inks Applied in Juan Vespucci’s Portolan Chart (1520). Colorants, 1(4), 411–423. https://doi.org/10.3390/colorants1040026