The stylus revealed: A metalpoint identification study of fifteenth-and sixteenth-century Italian drawings in the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Summary In a two-part study, X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) and multispectral infra-red reflectography (MSIRR) were evaluated as metalpoint identification techniques. The compositions of metalpoints and ground layers in seven Italian drawings in The Metropolitan Museum of Art collection dating from the turn of the sixteenth century were determined using XRF. The drawings studied are attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, the Leonardo School, Filippino Lippi, Pietro Perugino, Circle of Pietro Perugino or Raphael, Circle of Domenico Ghirlandaio, and Pier Francesco Foschi. Each drawing was also analysed using MSIRR. The protocol followed for each analytical method is described. Results indicate that XRF can identify inclusions in metalpoints as well as the primary metal. MSIRR results suggest that inclusions affect the nature of the base metal to absorb infra-red light. The inclusions detected reflect contemporary metallurgical practices. The possibility and implications of considering stylus composition as an aid to attribution are mentioned.