Remote and contactless infrared imaging techniques for stratigraphical investigations in paintings on canvas

AbstractIn the analysis of complex stratigraphical structures like painted artefact, infrared (IR) techniques can provide precious information about elements hidden under superficial layers of the artwork, such as pictorial features and structural defects. This paper presents a novel complementary use of reflectographic and thermographic techniques for the survey of three baroque paintings, preserved at the Chigi Palace in Ariccia (Italy). First, the IR-ITR laser scanner prototype has been used for the preliminary and remote near-IR reflectographic survey of the areas where the canvas was located. The resulting map was then used for planning the thermographic and mid-IR reflectographic studies, focusing the analyses on the most interesting areas of one of the paintings, called "La Primavera". The combination of the three imaging techniques revealed several details not visible by the naked eye, such as restored lacunas and pentimenti, demonstrating the validity and complementarity of the proposed combined methodologies

APPARATO E METODO PER L'ANALISI DELLA DENATURAZIONE DI COLLAGENE STRUTTURATO IN MATERIALI MEMBRANACEI

La presente invenzione è relativa ad un apparato e ad un metodo per l’analisi della denaturazione idrotermica del collagene strutturato in materiali membranacei. In particolare, la presente invenzione è relativa ad un tale apparato e relativo metodo che rilevano il livello di deterioramento del collagene in base alla misura della trasmissione ottica in funzione della temperatura. In dettaglio, la presente invenzione è relativa ad un tale apparato e relativo metodo che integrano due sistemi, uno di misurazione della luce trasmessa (LTA) ed uno di microscopia ottica in luce polarizzata, che operano simultaneamente e che sono a loro volta integrati in un sistema programmabile più ampio che consente il controllo automatico delle misure eseguite in funzione della temperatura, la presente invenzione essendo finalizzata a valutare oggettivamente il livello di deterioramento del campione di materiali membranacei, come pergamena e/o pelle

Simultaneous measurements of heat capacity, thermal conductivity, and thermal diffusivity of liquid crystals in phase transitions

Photoacoustic measurement, in the gas-microphone configuration, is shown to be a useful technique for investigating, simultaneously, the anomalies found in the specific heat, thermal conductivity, and diffusivity of liquid crystals in the vicinity of phase transitions

Polarization-resolved optical phase conjugation in an artificial anisotropic Kerr medium

Optical phase conjugation by degenerate four-wave mixing has been achieved in a liquid suspension of polymer microellipsoids as a result of light-induced rotational effects. Different polarization configurations of the pump and probe beams have been used, and the resulting conjugate polarization states have been discriminated. The results are discussed in terms of different kinds of particle orientational grating

The “Lost Guardians” of Dante’s Inferno: Medium Wave Infrared Imaging Investigations of a XIV Century Illuminated Manuscript

On the occasion of the 700th centenary of the death of Dante Alighieri, medium wave infrared imaging analysis of illuminations of the XIV-century code of the Divina Commedia (MS. 1102), hosted in the Biblioteca Angelica in Rome, was performed and discussed. The investigation was carried out by means of thermographic and reflectographic techniques on illuminations where the iconographic representation appeared severely damaged. In particular, through the combined use of both techniques, it was possible to recover the images of the damaged parts of the pictorial layer of the illuminations and of their underdrawings, displaying details of the “lost guardians”, which was useful to reconstruct the conservative history of the precious manuscript

The “Lost Guardians” of Dante’s <i>Inferno</i>: Medium Wave Infrared Imaging Investigations of a XIV Century Illuminated Manuscript

On the occasion of the 700th centenary of the death of Dante Alighieri, medium wave infrared imaging analysis of illuminations of the XIV-century code of the Divina Commedia (MS. 1102), hosted in the Biblioteca Angelica in Rome, was performed and discussed. The investigation was carried out by means of thermographic and reflectographic techniques on illuminations where the iconographic representation appeared severely damaged. In particular, through the combined use of both techniques, it was possible to recover the images of the damaged parts of the pictorial layer of the illuminations and of their underdrawings, displaying details of the “lost guardians”, which was useful to reconstruct the conservative history of the precious manuscript