As part of the FED-tWIN Face-to-Face project, a multidisciplinary team bringing together the European Centre of Archaeometry (University of Liège, ULiège), the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium (RMFAB), CNRS-Sorbonne University and Ca’ Foscari University of Venice has published a study on the conservation condition of The Temptation of St Anthony (1946) by Salvador Dalí, a major work held by the RMFAB since 1965. The research shows that the visual changes observed today (irregular transparency, loss of binding medium, roughness) are not solely the result of aesthetic intentions: they correspond to degradation phenomena that began very early, probably during the drying and maturation of the paint layers, and were already visible before the painting was acquired in 1965.
For several decades, certain areas of the painting, in particular the figure of St Anthony, his rock, architectural elements (including El Escorial), an angel, as well as details of the elephant procession, have shown a heterogeneous appearance: uneven gloss, increased transparency and a “crusted” or micro-cracked surface. The challenge was twofold: to determine whether this was an effect deliberately sought by Dalí or material alteration, and to identify the materials and mechanisms responsible for the alteration.
To achieve this, the team combined multi-technique scientific analyses carried out in situ at the museum with photographic archives (historic photographs from 1947 and 1965).
The study combined a wide range of imaging and analytical tools, including:
This combined approach made it possible to observe both pigment distribution, stratigraphy (layer superposition) and degradation products.
Changes in appearance within 20 years of execution
Comparison of the photographic documents shows that the increase in transparency and certain visual changes were already present before 1965, indicating early degradation, probably initiated during the polymerization and hardening of the paint films, rather than simple slow ageing over several decades.
Moreover, under UV light, the altered areas display a very characteristic bluish-white luminescence, distinct from the rest of the painted surface, consistent with binder alteration in the presence of zinc white.
The analyses identified pigments such as zinc white (ZnO) and lead white (cerussite/hydrocerussite), carbon black, earth pigments, cobalt blue and cerulean blue, chromium greens, ultramarine, strontium yellow, as well as a ground containing titanium dioxide (anatase) and anhydrite.
An important analytical result is that the MA-XRF maps showed a spatial correlation between visibly altered zones and the presence of zinc white, with some nuances:
The study also highlighted, in certain underlying areas beneath the lead white, indications of drying/setting problems that may have favoured ionic mobility and interactions between layers.
Amber, Dalí’s “sublime medium”… and a key factor in degradation
Beyond pigments, the research also confirms a central element of Dalí’s practice: the use of an amber-based medium (fossil resin). By Py-GC-MS, the scientists detected succinic acid, a characteristic marker of Baltic amber, and linked these results to samples of historical solutions associated with the recipes of the Belgian artists’ colour maker Jacques Blockx.
In his writings, Dalí refers to amber as the most precious vehicle, describing it as a “sublime” medium. More concentrated in the final layers, amber appears to have played a key role in the degradation process.
The role of chlorine contamination
Finally, the study considers the influence of chlorine detected across the entire surface and even on the original frame, pointing to environmental contamination. The highest concentrations coincide with areas rich in ZnO, zinc white. The researchers suggest a plausible scenario involving exposure to chloride salts (marine environment) during the transatlantic transport of the work shortly after it was shown in New York, at a time when some layers may still have been drying.
The analyses carried out as part of this study confirm that the work is no longer at any risk today: the observed degradation occurred very early, even before its acquisition by the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium. It results from a particular combination of factors: interactions between different paint layers, the use of an amber-based medium, and exposure to a chlorine-rich environment. As these processes are now stabilized, no special measures are necessary for displaying the painting to the public.
As a jewel of the museum collection, the work will once again be on view to visitors of the Royal Museums when it is reinstated in the new visitor route.
“The degradation occurred very early in the life of the work and is now stabilized: there is no risk whatsoever in displaying it to the public, stresses Catherine Defeyt, art historian, researcher at the European Centre of Archaeometry at ULiège and FED-tWIN Face-to-Face researcher at the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium (RMFAB).”
“This research also sheds light on Dalí’s technique: his use of amber, which he considered a “sublime” medium, played an unexpected role in the evolution of the painting, notes David Strivay, professor in the Faculty of Science and researcher at the European Centre of Archaeometry at ULiège.”
As a federal scientific institution, the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium study and promote an exceptional scientific, artistic and historical heritage. In this respect, Francisca Vandepitte, curator of modern art within the institution, welcomes the dual approach of this study, which made it possible to meet conservation requirements:
“A close link was established between the material and technical analyses carried out in the laboratory and the classical art-historical research conducted in archives and libraries. The unusual signs of ageing observed in the paint layer can be explained by the intrinsic nature of the work and by its history. These alterations have now stabilized, ensuring that visitors will continue to be able to appreciate the work fully in the future.”
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwX4C05mm80
Heritage
Meta-analysis
Not applicable
Early Degradation Behavior of Amber-Based Paint Layers in The Temptation of St Anthony by Salvador Dalí
22-Feb-2026