Nineteenth‐century watercolour reproductions of old masters in the Ruskin Teaching Collection, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford: Materials and techniques of ‘heaven‐borne’ copyist Charles Fairfax Murray

Journal article

This study presents the first comprehensive analysis of the pigments and techniques used by Charles Fairfax Murray (1849–1919), a leading expert in Italian Renaissance attribution, influential art collector and primary copyist for John Ruskin. Using a multidisciplinary approach combining MA‐XRF, single‐point XRF and XRD, FORS and advanced imaging techniques, this research identifies the materials Murray employed while replicating works by Italian Old Masters, including Tintoretto and Botticelli, during the Italian Renaissance revival of the 19th century. This study examines eight artworks from the Ruskin Teaching Collection at the Ashmolean Museum, identifying the use of both traditional pigments, such as vermillion and red, yellow and brown ochres, and newer, industrially produced pigments including cobalt blue and Prussian blue‐based greens. XRF mapping reveals localized use of chrome, zinc and cadmium‐based pigments, suggesting later modifications. Created between circa 1870–1881, these works demonstrate Murray's application of traditional artistic teachings and colour theory used during the Renaissance in the scope of pigment innovations during the Industrial Revolution. Multispectral imaging and infrared reflectography reveal the preparatory underdrawings made of each work, including the use of the grid technique to ensure accuracy and proportion. This research underscores the importance of interdisciplinary scientific analysis in exploring the Victorian‐era art of replication, a practice that elevated copying to a celebrated artistic pursuit. It reveals the profound influence of John Ruskin's teachings and Pre‐Raphaelite ideals on Charles Fairfax Murray's material choices and artistic approach, particularly his emphasis on authenticity, fidelity to historical methods and the use of lightfast, durable materials. Furthermore, it highlights the pivotal role of the Ruskin Teaching Collection in art education and demonstrates how industrial advancements in pigment technology not only enhanced artistic production and longevity but also broadened public access to the visual language of the Italian Renaissance.

Authors: Kemp, V; Beeby, A; Domoney, K; Bone, D

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Wiley
• Journal: Archaeometry
• Volume: 68
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 64-83
• Publication date: 2025-07-25
• Acceptance date: 2025-07-07
• DOI: 10.1111/arcm.70023
• EISSN: 1475-4754
• ISSN: 0003-813X
• Language: English
• Keywords: X-ray fluorescence; FORS; Renaissance; watercolour; multispectral imaging; 19th century; elemental analysis; pigment; X-ray diffraction