Heritage Science at the service of Almada Negreiros Art Mural: traditional pigments and innovations in Almada's chromatic palettes at the DN Building in Lisbon

This communication reports the first analytical approach carried out on two palettes of work by Almada negreiros, rediscovered in 1991 in the main hall of the former Diário de Notícias building in Lisbon. This is the only known occasion in which Mestre Almada leaves behind the color experiments he made on the wall before starting to paint. Both palettes had been hidden behind wooden cabinets since the 1940s and, as such, provided a unique opportunity to analyze the materials and painting techniques originally employed. Come and learn about the analysis techniques used and find out whether or not Almada Negreiros went beyond the traditional chromatic palette of the fresco technique. This was one of the doubts raised by the conservative-restorers, to which we will respond.

Biographic note (First author)

Milene Gil is a Conservator-Restorer and Researcher at the HERCULES Laboratory in the field of Mural Painting. She has a PhD in Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage, in the specialty Theory, History and Techniques of Artistic Production, a Post-Graduation in Chemistry applied to Cultural Heritage and a 6-year Post-Doctorate in Heritage Sciences. She is currently the PI of the project O Desvendar da Arte da Pintura Mural de Almada Negreiros (1938-1956). Milene Gil has over 20 years of experience in the field of mural painting in Portugal and abroad. For more information, visit https://www.cienciavitae.pt/portal/E11E-AC92-94E9.