Dry plate photographic negatives, introduced in the late 19th century, represent a turning point in the history of photography. However, their chemical complexity and fragile nature pose serious challenges for conservators. A recent study led by researchers from CNR-INO (Florence) and CSIC (Madrid), in collaboration with the Opificio delle Pietre Dure and the Museo Galileo, […]
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A new scientific paper is out. The question is: How to approach long-term monitoring of chemical dynamics in oil paintings? Monitoring the condition of artworks over time helps us understand how they deteriorate, identify active decay, and evaluate conservation methods. However, this process is challenging both logistically and technically. To tackle the technical challenges, a […]
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Climate Change and Scent Heritage: The Urgent Need for Capturing and Preserving Olfactory Landscapes in a Changing World We are excited to share an update on the SCENTINEL Project, a groundbreaking initiative addressing the pressing need to preserve the olfactory landscapes of our heritage, increasingly threatened by climate change. The project’s Steering Committee meeting, hosted […]
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In the world of art conservation, understanding the materials that make up historical artworks is essential for their preservation and restoration. A recent publication in the journal Minerals sheds light on an innovative approach using Raman spectroscopy to identify and characterize historical pigments with remarkable precision. Raman spectroscopy (RS) is a powerful analytical tool that […]
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Title: Non-invasive stratigraphic analyzes of gelatine-based modern painting materials with linear and nonlinear optical methods Link to the publication: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2515-7647/ad5772 Summary: Stratigraphic analyzes of polychrome surfaces, such as paintings, often need samples to offer consistent results regarding the sequence and composition of the layers. Non-invasive methodologies based on linear and nonlinear optical techniques limit material […]
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In the framework of the DIAGNOSE project, an article titled “The Colors of the Butterfly Wings: Non-Invasive Microanalytical Studies of Hand-Coloring Materials in 19th-Century Daguerreotypes” has been published in the Heritage journal as part of the special issue “Colour Photography and Film: Analysis, Preservation, and Conservation of Analogue and Digital Materials“, curated by Marcello Picollo […]
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Are you interested in Italian Renaissance drawing or paper #conservation? Read the recent paper published in Nature Portfolio by the Istituto Nazionale di Ottica del CNR Heritage Science group, in collaboration with the Opificio delle Pietre Dure, on the contactless analysis of a drawing by Raffaello Sanzio Link to the article: https://rdcu.be/cVJrh
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The research reporting on the prototype for the reflectance photoacoustic imaging applied for the first time in the Heritage Science field appears as the cover story of Journal of Imaging. The research reinforces the fruitful collaboration between the Heritage Science Group of CNR-INO and IESL-FORTH. The image is part of the article “Revealing Hidden Features […]
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The HSG published the results of non-invasive optical analyses on the Uffizi Gallery’s drawing 8P by Leonardo da Vinci. Together with art historians and conservators, the HSG unveiled hidden, technical features of a fragile and priceless artwork. The HSG applied different types of analysis on both sides of the drawing. It used multispectral reflectography in […]
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Meccatura is a type of historical gilding technique, which consists in the application of a coloured varnish on burnished metal surfaces (silver or tin foil) with the aim to both imitate the golden surface and to protect the metal from tarnishing. Since the medieval period in Europe, it has been applied in paintings, carved wood altarpieces, […]
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