Her first task was to investigate two coats of arms seen in archival photos from as recently as 2007 but now missing. “I had to complete a full technical study to verify their authenticity and make sure they were still present underneath any overpaint,” Zoe explains. “When I did different analyses, I realized the coats of arms were no longer there. Someone likely scrubbed them off using harsh solvents.” The damage had been painted over, though small traces of the shields remained visible when examined under a microscope.

In her investigation, Zoe dove into research on Spanish heraldry and the transatlantic trade in painting materials. Using scanning x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy in a collaboration with the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, she mapped the elements in the work. Multiband imaging and x-ray radiography showed heavy overpaint and provided clues to its conservation history.

While the technical study confirmed that the coats of arms were gone, an unexpected clue emerged. The canvas support was “100 percent cotton,” she says. “All our textbooks on easel paintings say it is extremely rare to see cotton canvas until the late 1800s.” In the Spanish viceroyalties, however, cotton was used as a painting support much earlier. Even so, her knowledge of costume history helped date the work to the early 19th century.

Infrared imaging revealed one other detail: a flag on a ship in the background had been overpainted to appear solid, but beneath it were three stripes, “which matches historical records of  Spanish commissioning pennants,” she notes, “which would mean the man was probably commissioned for war by the Spanish Crown.” After some light restoration work, this portrait—now better understood thanks to Zoe’s efforts—will likely go on display at Winterthur in 2027.