FIP Virtual Seminar: Imaging Spectroscopy of Paintings

The three imaging modalities of the scanner include reflectance (400 - 2500 nm, 2.5 nm sampling), molecular fluorescence (400 - 1000 nm) and X-ray fluorescence. The first two modalities provide molecular information and the third elemental information about artists' materials (pigments and paint binders). The resulting material maps reveal insight into how artworks are constructed and modified. The type of information that can be obtained from this scanner will be presented with case studies such as Leonardo da Vinci's Ginevra de' Benci and Johannes Vermeer's Girl with the Red Hat, both in the collection of the National Gallery of Art, Washington.