How does this artwork elucidate its Painting materials?
The painting was cleaned and investigated in the National Gallery in 1983. It is noteworthy for the masterful and elaborate painting of the draperies and for the absence of blue pigments. Rubens employed carmine (kermes) lake, lead-tin-yellow, vermilion and ochres in addition to lead white and charcoal black. However chemical pigment analysis was in its early stages back then and not enough samples for other works by Rubens were available, compared to what is available nowadays.
vermilion lead white carmine lead-tin-yellow kermes National Gallery ochres