Toward a better knowledge of Beethoven's creative process through the ink characterization: A non-invasive study of the sketchleaves held at the Civic Library in Bergamo (Italy)

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827) used to record his ideas in sketchleaves and sketchbooks, where he collected preparatory materials before publishing his final work. These handwritten documents are rich in information. Nonetheless, as a consequence of the creative process, the annotations are much reworked by the composer itself, making them hard to interpret. This study aims, for the first time, at a non-invasive characterization of the inks used by Ludwig van Beethoven in his manuscripts. Distinguishing the inks used for the notes and the rewritten or modified parts would allow a better comprehension of his creative process. With this purpose, the manuscript BG0044 Piatti-Lochis PREIS.J1.9686, held at the Angelo Mai Civic Library of Bergamo (Italy), was investigated by exploiting portable imaging and spectroscopic techniques. The photographic documentation under Visible (VIS) and Ultraviolet light (UVIF) illumination, along with the Hyperspectral Imaging (HSI) in the spectral range 450 nm to 1000 nm were essential to identify the areas of interest for further analysis and provide a working hypothesis on the inks used by Beethoven. Afterwards, X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy was employed to get an insight into the chemical composition of the inks. The foremost result revealed the presence of two different iron-based inks, used for the staves and the handwritten musical notations, respectively. The superimposed strokes observed among the staves on the same material composition led us to suppose that they have been applied immediately to the paper or in a limited time during which the same ink recipe was maintained. Hence, it seems that the composer made changes almost at the same time as he wrote the first version. These results represent the first scientific evidence to endorse the hypothesis of a rapid change of mind in his writing process.