![]() |
![]() | ||||
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() Just zap it! Say you want to test an important painting -- like the Mona Lisa or a Rembrandt. Let's say the painting's owner would shudder at the thought of you scraping off some paint or snipping off some canvas. Then you can't use "destructive testing," like the in-
Instead, you need "non-
But while neutron activation measures gamma rays, X- | ||
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() Every picture tells a story
An X-radiograph of "The Feast of the Gods" (1514/1529) revealed Venetian painter Giovanni Bellini changed his painting as he worked. Initially the figures sat before a continuous band of trees, silhouetted against a clear horizon. Additionally, a few of the female figures were once more modestly attired.
In 1516, two years after finishing The Feast, Bellini died. Sometime thereafter, the setting of his picture was altered by Ferrara court artist, Dosso Dossi.
In 1529, it is probable that Titian painted over most of the background again, giving it a mountain with steep cliffs and an ultramarine blue sky. Visible traces remain of the two earlier landscapes.
©1997, National Gallery of Art, |
![]()
| |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() X-
X-
The principle of this particle-i
As with neutron activation, the energy levels are the tip-
He says the ease of detecting elements increases with weight. Since only 10 elements are lighter than sodium, the lightest detectable element, most of the periodic table is fair game. He says the particle-
While the use of modern materials in a supposedly antique artwork is one way to detect forgery, you can also compare the results to data from a known sample. Did the questioned painting use the same pigments as the real one? Do inconsistencies indicate massive refurbishing after the painted was completed?
So detecting forgery is purely a matter of high tech? Not...
| ||
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() | ||||
.
![]() |
![]() |
.
There are 1 2 3 4 5 6 pages in this feature. Bibliography | Credits | Feedback | Search ©1999, University of Wisconsin, Board of Regents. |