Camera brings ‘unprecedented clarity’ to restoration of historic artworks
Scientists developed technology that will revolutionise the restoration of historic works of art by allowing conservators to identify and remove ageing varnish with total accuracy.
A team at King’s College London’s department of physics has harnessed the power of fluorescence to bring “unprecedented clarity” to the conservation process, said Klaus Suhling.
A revolutionary camera will allow experts to distinguish between varnish and other components in an artwork, such as paints and binders, the Guardian wrote.
“The conservation of paintings is vital to protect our cultural heritage for generations to come,” said Suhling.
“Most paintings created before the late 19th century have been varnished many times, making them appear dull or yellowed as the varnish degrades. To make the image visible again, it may be necessary to remove that varnish – but it can be a big challenge to differentiate this from the underlying paint and other components within the painting.”
The King’s College team developed a 25,000-pixel photon sensitive camera that uses a technique called macroscopic fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) to harness the natural fluorescence in centuries-old varnish.