from Science News online
Venetian Grinds: The secret behind Italian Renaissance painters' brilliant palettes
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The discovery of an ancient inventory from a Venetian seller of artist's pigments throws new light on the palette of Italian Renaissance painters and address the question that has always baffled conservation scientists. How did Venetian Renaissance painters create the strong, clear, and bright colors that make objects and figures in their paintings appear to glow?

Prompted by this inventory lead, a re-examination of Venetian paintings yielded an answer -- glass. Artists such as Lorenzo Lotto and Tintoretto used it extensively in their paintings. Not only did the artists use glass to fill gaps in their palettes, but the materials' optical effects—intentionally or not—also brought their paintings to life in unprecedented ways. The article then proceeds to highlight the aesthetic and material significance this finding yields for the field of conservation.