Data regarding the article "Fin-de-siècle friable media: A multimodal analytical survey of pastel, charcoal and chalk drawings from the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium"

The FRIABLE research project (2021–2025) investigates the material composition, condition, and conservation challenges of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century drawings in friable media—such as pastel, charcoal, and chalk—preserved in the collection of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium (RMFAB). Because these powdery media adhere weakly to their supports, such works are particularly vulnerable to damage during handling, display, and transport; yet conservation decision-making tools remain limited. To address this gap, the project developed a multidisciplinary methodology combining technical art history, archival research, preventive conservation, material reconstructions, and multimodal technical imaging and analysis. After an initial survey of approximately 100 drawings, a smaller group of works was selected for in-depth investigation in order to characterise their materials and techniques. This paper presents the project’s methodological framework and analytical workflow and illustrates its potential through a detailed case study of a fin-de-siècle pastel drawing (Berthe Art, The Red Poppies, ca. 1897). The results demonstrate how integrating complementary imaging and analytical techniques can clarify artistic practice, material composition, and condition issues, providing a more robust basis for the conservation and management of friable media drawings in museum collections.