Seeing the structure of restored paintings
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.026114
BBC : Infrared scanning of artwork has been around for a while, but the heat caused by the light source can damage delicate paintings. A new adaption of the scanning technique, reported in Optics Express and called thermal quasi-reflectography (TQR), uses a less-damaging low-power halogen light to generate the IR. A TQR analysis of a 15th-century fresco called The Resurrection by Piero della Francesca showed retouches, unevenness in the painting of a shield, and even changes in the painting technique that do not show up in a near-IR image. More research is needed, say the authors, before TQR can identify pigments to help with restoration rather than just showing that different pigments or techniques were employed.
More about the Authors
Paul Guinnessy. pguinnes@aip.org