Famous painters like Leonardo da Vinci, Sandro Botticelli, and other Renaissance masters may have experimented with mixing egg yolks in their oil paints to help their paintings withstand moisture and prevent wrinkling and yellowing. discovered by scientists.
Studying the painting habits of master painters “may improve the preservation of precious works of art,” according to a study published in Nature Communication.
Protein residues have been previously detected in Masterpiece, but research indicates that the inclusion of eggs was likely intentional.
In the study, experts found that adding eggs to oil paintings “acts as an antioxidant and delays the onset of hardening.” In other words, this combination helps prevent paint deterioration.
“Very few sources have been written about this, and no scientific study has ever been conducted to investigate this issue in such depth,” said study authors of the Institute for Mechanical Process Engineering and Mechanics at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany. says Ophélie Ranquet. told CNN.
“Our results show that even a very small amount of egg yolk can surprisingly alter the properties of oil paints, and show how beneficial it has been for artists.”
When examining the effects of using egg yolk protein in oil, scientists found that egg protein inhibits the water absorbed by the paint in humid environments.
While the painting was drying, they also helped prevent yellowing and creasing — “problems even Leonardo da Vinci encountered,” the study found.
The artists “give us the opportunity to admire their masterpieces even today,” the study said.