Art Conservation and Fluorescence
Posted On: Tuesday, September 1, 2020
Identification of original 17th century paint vs. modern overpaint
Fluorescence can be a valuable tool for art conservation. The images below were recently sent to us from the Eskenazi Museum of Art at Indiana University, Center for Conservation. They were acquired using the Hirox RH-2000 Digital Microscope System in combination with the NIGHTSEA Ultraviolet excitation/emission set to add the fluorescence capability. The conservators were able to document an area of the painting ‘Joseph Seeking His Brothers‘ (Eustache Le Sueur, ca. 1647–1650) with some remaining original 17th century red oil paint (likely vermilion) surrounded by modern (approx. 50 years old) overpaint. The original paint exhibits a red fluorescence (below right), while the overpaint does not (white light image, below left).
Images © Eskenazi Museum of Art at Indiana University, Center for Conservation
-
- Painting detail, white light
-
- Painting detail, fluorescence
For more examples of the application of fluorescence to art conservation, visit this page.