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Modern artists' paints in view Archeometria
of law, business and forensic
science

PART II. ARSENIC, MERCURY AND CADMIUM PAINTS

Today artists mostly apply acrylic paints, which are manufactured on a large scale by companies. New pigments
in paints provide adequate artistic impressions, but their interposition into paints is also connected with various
legal, economic and forensic science issues. The trends and causes of change in the chemical composition of
modern artists’ paints are discussed in the article. Paints containing arsenic, mercury and cadmium compounds
are especially presented.
The main reason for withdrawal from art market of such paints is their high toxicity. Nevertheless, the law regula-
tions and economics of artistic production determine the changes in technology processes and composition of
modern paints. The pigment composition in the artwork is one of the main sources of information about the origin
of the object, which is important for evaluation of the authenticity of works of art. Thus, described changes in
the composition of modern paints have a significant impact on the effectiveness of the identification of artworks.
Commonly applied approach for investigation of artworks, which is based on qualitative analysis of the elemental
composition, was critically assessed.

ANALITYKA – NUMER 1, ROK (XVIII) 2017 65