Painting analysis (on canvas, panel, paper, etc …) comes through the study of the pigments used, the media, the preparation layers, the binders or the varnishes.
Spectroscopic analyzes (eg. FTIR, Raman, XRF, … ) help mainly to characterize these materials in order to determine the date of completion, the state of conservation or possible restoration campaigns …
Imaging analyzes (eg. multispectrale, UV-Vis, IR, X-ray, … ) allow to determine the state of conservation of the support, the paint layers or the coating surface. It also help to detect the presence of repaints, underpaints or sketches etc.
The results of these analyzes help the scientist, the curator or the conservator in his choice toward an artist or a period, but they also help to take the right actions for the conservation and restoration of the painting.
- Works of Art analyzed
Brueghel, Le Brun, Chardin, Le Lorrain, Boucher, Braque, Frietz, Manet, Monet, Cézanne, Emile Bernard, Modigliani, Malewicz, Vlaminck, Derain, O’Keeffe, Exter, Francis, etc.
- Examples of completed projects
– Analysis of painting material from Sam Francis studio (2008-2009).
– Spectroscopic analysis of cobalt pigments: I. Cobalt aluminate . (2009-2010).
- Publications
1) FTIR and Raman Microscopy study of paints used by Sam Francis in e-Preservation science, 6, 27-37, (2009).
2) Raman study of synthetic cobalt blue spinels used in the field of Art, in J. Raman Spectrosc. 41 (11) 1477–1485, (2010).
