Sperm Whales, Wax Sculptures, and Historical Analysis: The Role of Fat Chemistry in Authenticating Artworks in Early Twentieth-Century Germany

In 1909, Friedrich Rathgen, chief chemist of the Berlin Museums, faced a challenging task: dating a bust and ideally confirming its origin as a Renaissance artwork attributed to Leonardo da Vinci. To authenticate the bust, the chemical composition of its wax components had to be determined, forming historical arguments for the dating of the object by correlating the material components with their historical usage. Debates arose among fat chemists about accurate techniques and the complexities of isolating substances from historical wax. This case illustrates the relationship between art history and chemistry in the analysis of material objects. It shows how chemists adapted their methods to address the challenges of the scientific analysis of art works and how historical and chemical hypotheses intertwined to form art historical arguments. Moreover, it highlights the reciprocal benefits derived from chemistry's engagement in art history, thereby advancing methods in both disciplines. Tracing the origins of fat chemistry within the broader context of chemistry and contextualising the museum's chemical laboratory within art history, this study draws attention to the larger context encompassing both natural sciences and humanities. Lastly, this study serves an instructive example of the transfer of practical knowledge between sciences and humanities around 1900.