Characterization of organic materials in the decoration of ornamental structures in the Alhambra monumental ensemble using gas-chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS)

Despite the small amount of sample and the complex history of interventions in the monument (both documented and not), results obtained with GC-MS show that proteinaceous materials were mainly used as binders in the different supports and periods studied being animal glue identified in almost all cases. Moreover, wax and lipid materials were also found in the samples from the ceilings, probably as restoration materials applied on the surface of the polychromes on wood. These results shed light on the painting techniques in this extraordinary example of Muslim art in its final European stages, thus contributing to provide scientific information about the still little studied medieval Islamic art.