This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).
The scientific study of works of art and other cultural heritage materials offers insight into past cultures, provides a means to rediscover historic technologies, and improves our ability to preserve precious objects for future generations. Funds from this instrumentation grant will support the acquisition of a micro-X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer with high spatial resolution, line and area element mapping capabilities, and helium purging to enhance the detection of low-Z elements. Designed for the in situ examination of works of art, this instrument will complement and enhance existing analytical capabilities of the Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) Collections Research Laboratory for conducting research into the composition, structure, and behavior of the materials comprising works of art. Specifically, the addition of the proposed instrument will 1) expand the scope of works of art which can be studied to include inhomogeneous or finely detailed objects through the use of micro-focus X-ray optics; 2) assist in the discovery of fundamental phenomena relating to the historic production of materials through the enhanced detection of low-Z elements; and 3) open new areas of research through the generation of spatially resolved elemental information. The portability of the instrument will facilitate collaborative research between the GCI and other museums and cultural heritage institutions; in addition, collaboration with UCLA will provide education and training opportunities for post-doctoral fellows, interns, and graduate/undergraduate students. The fundamental research that this instrument will allow has the potential to impact the work of chemists and material scientists, as well as professionals in the related disciplines of art history, archaeology, and art conservation. Furthermore, the inclusion of results in museum gallery displays, exhibition publications and public lectures will serve to increase public awareness of - and interest in - science.
Layman Summary: This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).
The preservation of works of art and other cultural heritage artifacts is important not only because of their intrinsic beauty and/or historical significance, but also because these objects contain material evidence about the people, societies, and technologies that created them. Scientific analysis can uncover this evidence, which may change how we understand, interpret and care for art. Because of the precious nature of these objects, removing samples from them for analysis is usually not permitted, and so non-invasive techniques are employed whenever possible. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) is one such non-invasive technique. Using a thin beam of X-rays to analyze a small area on a work of art, XRF can identify the individual elements present, from which, for example, the specific pigment used to color a paint may be deduced. XRF has been employed successfully for many years in the study of works of art, but until now its use has been limited to the examination of areas at least a quarter inch across. The proposed instrument - a mapping micro-XRF spectrometer - is the latest development in XRF technology. Capable of probing on a microscopic scale, this instrument is also able to raster the X-ray beam over a surface, generating maps showing the locations of each element. For example, the pigments used to paint individual features in the tiny faces frequently found in manuscript illuminations can be characterized using this instrument. These capabilities will significantly enhance the ability of scientists in the Getty Conservation Institute Collections Research Laboratory to contribute to an understanding of artist's materials and methods, and assist art conservators in developing preservation strategies. Furthermore, because the instrument is portable, it can be taken to local cultural heritage institutions and universities for research and the training of students. In addition, results generated using this instrument will be incorporated into museum gallery displays, exhibition publications and public lectures will demonstrate how science can increase our understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment of art.
Funds from this NSF grant were used to acquire a micro-X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer with high spatial resolution and line and area element mapping capabilities. Specifically designed for the in situ examination of works of art, this instrument provided the Getty Conservation Institute (GCI, Los Angeles, California) with critically needed new capabilities for conducting research into the composition, structure, and behavior of the materials comprising works of art. GCI scientists work in collaboration with art conservators and curators to address issues of authenticity, provenance and artists’ technique; assist in the evaluation of conservation treatment programs; and conduct research into the properties and behavior of materials found in works of art. The spectrometer was installed and commissioned in June 2010, and since then has been employed extensively in the examination of many types of works of art, including: 1) an extensive study of works by the 14th century Florentine artist Pacino di Bonaguida to understand artists' workshop practices at that time and the historic development of panel painting and manuscript illumination techniques; 2) a study of a hidden portrait beneath a painting by Rembrandt to reveal the working techniques of this master painter; 3) a detailed study of ancient Greek Attic pottery to elucidate this ancient ceramic technology; and 4) a study of the painting techniques of Medieval Flemish manuscript illuminators. The high spatial resolution of this instrument coupled with its ability to collect information in situ, without having to remove samples or otherwise risk damaging precious works of art, is particularly well suited to the study of illuminated manuscripts. Many of the elaborately decorated illuminated manuscripts produced during the Middle Ages contain exceptionally fine examples of painting, often with such minute details – sometimes as thin as a human hair – that they can only be fully appreciated under magnification. The skill and level of detail used in their creation is further revealed through the examination of element maps acquired using the new micro-XRF spectrometer. The resulting maps not only allow researchers to infer what pigments were used to paint individual features, but also provide information about the order in which different paint layers were applied in the creation of these rich and complex paintings. Furthermore, because of the penetrating nature of X-rays, hidden features, such as text written on the back of an illumination, may be revealed through element mapping. The mission of the Getty Conservation Institute is to serve the professionals and organizations responsible for the conservation of the world's cultural heritage through scientific research, education and training, model field projects and dissemination. Research benefiting from this instrument has been disseminated through a variety of media (including peer-reviewed publications, conferences, symposia and workshops), in order to reach chemists and materials scientists, as well as those in related disciplines, including art history, archaeology and art conservation. XRF spectroscopy is one of the primary tools used in the scientific analysis of works of art, and as such, this instrument plays a central role in teaching and professional development programs for graduate students, interns and post-doctoral researchers. Finally, the increased capabilities provided by this instrument to perform fundamental studies on works of art in a completely non-invasive manner not only will contribute to the understanding of the artists, societies and historic technologies used to create works of art, but will enhance the abilities of present-day art conservators and other stewards of cultural patrimony to preserve them.
