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Volume 9
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10.3390/heritage9020044
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Article

Multi-Technique Characterization of Antonio Basoli’s Picturesque Views of Bologna: An Integrated Approach to 19th-Century Graphic Heritage Conservation

by
Monia Vadrucci
1,*,
Francesca Incoronato
2,*,
Carlotta Letizia Zanasi
2,
Camilla Roversi Monaco
2,
Massimo Chiari
3,
Claudia Mazzuca
4,
Stefano Lecci
5,
Costanza Cucci
6,
Marcello Picollo
6 and
Lorenzo Stefani
6
1
Science and Innovation Directorate, Italian Space Agency, via del Politecnico s.n.c., 00133 Rome, Italy
2
Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna, Via delle Belle Arti, 54, 40126 Bologna, Italy
3
Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), Sezione di Firenze, via G. Sansone 1, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Firenze, Italy
4
Department of Chemical Science and Technologies, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133 Rome, Italy
5
NUC-FUSEN, ENEA Frascati Research Centre, Via Enrico Fermi, 45, 00044 Frascati, Rome, Italy
6
Istituto di Fisica Applicata “Nello Carrara” del Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche di Sesto Fiorentino (CNR-IFAC), Via Madonna del Piano, 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Firenze, Italy
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Heritage 2026, 9(2), 44; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage9020044
Submission received: 3 November 2025 / Revised: 19 January 2026 / Accepted: 21 January 2026 / Published: 23 January 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Deterioration and Conservation of Ancient Writing Supports)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Antonio Basoli’s one hundred Picturesque views of the city of Bologna (1824–1836) include 95 preparatory drawings, 16 of which were executed on oil-impregnated lightweight paper now showing advanced degradation. This study aims to investigate the materials and techniques used by Basoli’s workshop and to develop an evidence-based conservation approach for these fragile works. An integrated analytical methodology combining non-invasive hyperspectral imaging (HSI), Fiber Optics Reflectance Spectroscopy (FORS) and Ion Beam Analysis (IBA) with micro-invasive SEM-EDX and FTIR-ATR spectroscopy was applied on five drawings on lightweight impregnated paper to characterize both the paper supports and drawing media. Linseed oil containing lead-based drying agents was suggested to be the impregnating substance, while iron oxide (sanguine) over metalpoint (Cu, Sb, Pb) defined the graphic media. The detection of copper–lead residues suggests that Basoli employed a direct pressure transfer technique similar to James Watt’s copying machine. Conservation treatments resulted in significant pH stabilization (from 5.35 ± 0.20 to 6.45 ± 0.33) and reduced yellowing (ΔE* = 4.9 ± 1.8) while maintaining the paper’s translucency. The results elucidate the innovative practices of Basoli’s workshop and establish a reproducible analytical and conservation methodology applicable to the preservation of nineteenth-century graphic heritage.
Keywords: hyperspectral imaging; ion beam analysis; 19th-century paper conservation; linseed oil degradation; copying techniques; Antonio Basoli; multi-technique characterization hyperspectral imaging; ion beam analysis; 19th-century paper conservation; linseed oil degradation; copying techniques; Antonio Basoli; multi-technique characterization

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MDPI and ACS Style

Vadrucci, M.; Incoronato, F.; Zanasi, C.L.; Monaco, C.R.; Chiari, M.; Mazzuca, C.; Lecci, S.; Cucci, C.; Picollo, M.; Stefani, L. Multi-Technique Characterization of Antonio Basoli’s Picturesque Views of Bologna: An Integrated Approach to 19th-Century Graphic Heritage Conservation. Heritage 2026, 9, 44. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage9020044

AMA Style

Vadrucci M, Incoronato F, Zanasi CL, Monaco CR, Chiari M, Mazzuca C, Lecci S, Cucci C, Picollo M, Stefani L. Multi-Technique Characterization of Antonio Basoli’s Picturesque Views of Bologna: An Integrated Approach to 19th-Century Graphic Heritage Conservation. Heritage. 2026; 9(2):44. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage9020044

Chicago/Turabian Style

Vadrucci, Monia, Francesca Incoronato, Carlotta Letizia Zanasi, Camilla Roversi Monaco, Massimo Chiari, Claudia Mazzuca, Stefano Lecci, Costanza Cucci, Marcello Picollo, and Lorenzo Stefani. 2026. "Multi-Technique Characterization of Antonio Basoli’s Picturesque Views of Bologna: An Integrated Approach to 19th-Century Graphic Heritage Conservation" Heritage 9, no. 2: 44. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage9020044

APA Style

Vadrucci, M., Incoronato, F., Zanasi, C. L., Monaco, C. R., Chiari, M., Mazzuca, C., Lecci, S., Cucci, C., Picollo, M., & Stefani, L. (2026). Multi-Technique Characterization of Antonio Basoli’s Picturesque Views of Bologna: An Integrated Approach to 19th-Century Graphic Heritage Conservation. Heritage, 9(2), 44. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage9020044

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