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Materials & Techniques

Through extensive studies at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence and elsewhere, the techniques used by Maestro Battini are based on the ancient crafts of the late medieval and Renaissance, enhanced by his commitment to all natural materials. Eschewing synthetics, Maestro Battini uses instead pure pigments, minerals and semiprecious stones such as lapis lazuli that give the work a look and a substance unique and long lasting.

Each project is unique however all share the utmost care and attention dedicated to all stages of the artistic process. Each work of art is guaranteed in the materials, in the execution – done entirely by hand – and in its exquisite quality that will continue to endure over time.

To give just one example: Canvas are treated by hand - Starting with a linen or cotton canvas - depending on the texture chosen by the client – the Maestro and his workshop then proceed with the "ammanitura" (traditional priming ground), which involves the preparation of several layers of gypsum and natural glues. In this way, the absorption of the paint and the necessary elasticity of the canvas will be perfectly regulated and guaranteed.

This working method, includes a constant quest to recover ancient recipes, which can be lost, but that are part of the history of art. One of these investigations is underway, in collaboration with the Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry of the University of Pisa, about the pigment derived from barium, with photoluminescent properties, used by Caravaggio.

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