Lakes were traditionally applied in very small quantities, blended with an oil, egg or gum medium. Other paint materials were possibly added to the mixture to obtain the desired tint or consistency. Lakes were especially appreciated for their specific transparent properties. They are most commonly found as thin upper glazing layers, but were also mixed to other colored layers. Their particular poor light-fastness is well known and examples have been reported where they completely faded away with time.
Lakes are particularly difficult to identify in easel paintings.
They are generally found in minute quantities and in drastically faded condition. Microscopic examination or conventional methods of analysis often fail to ascertain their presence. Their original molecular structures or the mechanism of their deterioration with time are scarcely known. The aim of this study is both the identification by LDMS of lakes in paint cross-sections and to a broader extent a better understanding of the mechanisms of molecular deterioration by means of MS analyses of reconstruction. Cross-sections are conjointly studied by FTIR imaging in collaboration with Jaap van der Weerd.