Near-infrared spectroscopy, yo!
From a piece on the Royal Society of Chemistry website...
Scientists in the US and Italy have borrowed a technique more usually associated with geophysical remote sensing and applied it to medieval artwork - with stunning results. The near-infrared hyperspectral imaging of a leaf from a 15th century illuminated manuscript has produced a map of the pigment binders used by the artist. The technique will not only allow conservation specialists to better plan strategies for restoring and stabilising paintings, but will also give art historians new insights into the materials and methods favoured by individual artists.
Art historians and conservationists need detailed information about materials used by artists, such as the pigments and the organic binding agents, for example gum Arabic or egg white, which were used to carry the pigment. In some cases it is possible to remove tiny samples from the artwork for analysis, or to use imaging techniques on a small area of the work. But until now it has been difficult to obtain an overview of the materials used across the work as a whole.
1 comment:
That was a very beautiful work of art. And the use of NIR makes this wonderful piece more alive. You can see the fine details and intricate design of this medieval manuscript. It is good to know that NIR can be of use to analyze old artworks and documents by illuminating the pieces.
Post a Comment