The Use and Deterioration of Intumescent Fire-Retardant Paint on Louise Nevelson’s Erol Beker Chapel of the Good Shepherd

Louise Nevelson’s Erol Beker Chapel of the Good Shepherd (1977) is a sculptural environment consisting of wooden sculptures painted a monochromatic white color. The paints show signs of degradation including cracking, chipping, peeling, and the formation of blisters and powdery efflorescence. A significant amount of pentaerythritol (PER) detected during a former analysis was concluded to originate from an alkyd paint. We show that the PER originates from the PVAc paint on the sculptures, which we have determined to be an intumescent, fire-retardant (IFR) coating. IFR paints and coatings are functional materials designed specifically to delay the combustion of their substrate. At least one other sculpture by Louise Nevelson is known to have been painted with an IFR coating. Our analyses by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), pyrolysis–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GCMS), and cross-section microscopy show the presence and distribution of common IFR additives including PER, dicyandiamide, melamine, inositol, ethylenediamine, and phosphates. These are present throughout the PVAc paint and are enriched in the powdery efflorescence. In addition, the degradation behavior of the paint is typical for IFR coating systems that have been exposed to uncontrolled environmental conditions and especially high humidity events.