Category: Art

This study explores the structure characteristics of thick glaze, in terms of the case study of Chinese Southern Song Guan (SSG) ware, focusing on the bubble and its media structure, using a novel focus-tracking optical coherence tomography (OCT) system. The OCT images we obtained not only unveil the structural uniqueness of the thick-glaze SSG sample, but also establish a distinguishable structural pattern for aiding authentication. In addition, information revealed in our images provides a logical explanation for the subtle texture and tone of SSG glaze as well as insights into the technologies used in layering and firing these thick glazes.

The objective of this study was to assess the ability of combined photothermal wave (PTW) imaging and optical coherence tomography (OCT) to detect, and further characterize the distribution of macrophages (having taken up plasmonic gold nanorose as a contrast agent) and lipid deposits in atherosclerotic plaques. Aortas with atherosclerotic plaques were harvested from nine male New Zealand white rabbits divided into nanorose- and saline-injected groups and were imaged by dual-wavelength (800 and 1210 nm) multifrequency (0.1, 1 and 4 Hz) PTW imaging in combination with OCT. Amplitude PTW images suggest that lateral and depth distribution of nanorose-loaded macrophages (confirmed ...

A brief introduction to Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is presented, stressing the origin of the tomographic signal and the detection methods defining various modalities of the technique. The parameters of the tomographs, such as axial and lateral resolution, wavelength and intensity of the probing light, imaging range, time of examination, and sensitivity are then defined, and a paradigm for interpreting the OCT tomograms provided. The second part of the article comprises a review of the utilisation of OCT for structural examination of artworks, illustrated with some representative results. Applications to the structural imaging of semi-transparent subsurface layers such as varnishes ...

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has mostly been used for high-speed volume imaging but its profilometry potentials have not been fully exploited. This paper demonstrates high precision (as good as ∼50 nm) multi-interface profilometry using a Fourier domain OCT system without special antivibration devices. The precision is up to 2 orders of magnitude better than the depth resolution of the OCT. Detailed analysis of the precision achieved for different surfaces is presented. The multi-interface profiles are obtained as a by-product of the tomography data. OCT has the advantage in speed and sensitivity at detecting rough and internal interfaces versus conventional optical ...

First used for the conservation of artwork around 15 years ago, researchers are now embarking on the use of lasers to clean and restore organic-based materials. Until recently these were considered too delicate for exposure to lasers, compared to inorganic objects. Organic materials ranging from Australian Aboriginal bark paintings to ancient Egyptian papyrus rope are now serving as case studies for demonstrating the effectiveness of lasers for removing dirt and old coats of varnish. One of the drawbacks of laser ablation, however, is the difficulty of ensuring complete removal of the top varnish layer without damaging the surface beneath. This ...

There are two reasons for determining the composition of paints used in historical paintings. The first is for conservation purposes, i.e., to identify which conservation methods should be used to best treat an artwork based on its paint composition. The second purpose is art history. For example, some pigments were used in certain periods, while others are more modern. Analysis of the pigments allows art historians to constrain the time when the painting was created, which assists with dating the artwork. Furthermore, pigments can be attributed to geographical areas and are used to shed light on historical pigment trade ...

Five optical analyses of a given work of art are presented, using multispectral imaging, optical coherence tomography, goniophometry, UV-fluorescence emission spectroscopy and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. All these methods are non-destructive, contactless, and implementable in situ. They all lead to results in quasi-real time. The multispectral camera allows imaging of the whole painting with very high definition and recording of 240 millions of spectra. Optical coherence tomography allows local 2D and 3D imaging with in-face and in depth stratigraphies inside the painting with a micrometric accuracy. It allows the evaluation of the pigment volume concentration inside a layer, the measurement of ...

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a fast non-contact and non-invasive technique for examination of objects consisting of transparent or semitransparent layers. Since it is a useful tool for inspection of Hinterglasmalerei paintings, the aim of the experiment was to explore its feasibility for monitoring of the consolidation process, which plays the most important role in the conservation treatment of such artefacts.

Multispectral and hyperspectral imaging are efficient methods of measuring spectral reflectance at high spatial resolution. This non-invasive technique has been applied to the imaging of paintings over the last 20 years. PRISMS (Portable Remote Imaging System for Multispectral Scanning) was designed specifically for imaging wall paintings. Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is a low coherence interferometric technique capable of fast non-invasive imaging of subsurface microstructure. This paper shows the first application of in situ OCT imaging of a wall painting. The combination of PRISMS and OCT gives information on the varnish and paint layer structure, pigment identification, the state of degradation ...

This paper will introduce a new application of Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) to the monitoring of vulnerability of rock art monuments in-situ. The porosity of the host rock is an important factor affecting the susceptibility of rock art monuments to decay. Pore characteristics of rocks are one of the main factors that control the intensity of physical deterioration. OCT has successfully been applied to paintings and archaeological objects, including geological materials, to produce cross sectional images non-invasively. The stack of cross sectional images can be rendered as a volume to visualise the structure in depth over an extended area. Preliminary ...

Tucked away in the Tower of London, a mysterious wall painting has been intriguing art historians. Commonly called the Byward Angel, it's one of the most well-preserved murals in the UK and the only surviving medieval interior at the castle. The style of the painting suggests it dates back to the 1390s - but nobody knows who painted it or why it's there. Until recently, investigating the mural has been a painstaking task as it could only be analysed invasively by taking tiny samples of paint. Now, Haida Liang and her team from Nottingham Trent University have repurposed a ...

A team of researchers from Nottingham Trent University have received more than £600,000 of funding to develop a new Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) system that they hope will become a tool used by art galleries around the world. The funding was received from the Science and Heritage Programme of the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the EPSRC. Since 2004, Dr Haida Liang from the university’s School of Science and Technology has led research into the application of Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) for the non-invasive examination of paintings.

Text translation of the web page can be obtained using Google Language Tools. A new technique useful in the restoration attracting interest from major museums. Using a method derived from ophthalmology, researchers are able to get inside even works of art! Its name: optical coherence tomography. In the restoration workshops of the Museum of Art and History in Geneva, a romantic landscape painter undergoes a battery of tests. Fluorescence ultraviolet light to diagnose the condition of the varnish, and then exposed to a raking light to explore the contours of the material, Victor Lopes, the conservator of places, has ten ...

This paper has two purposes. The first one underlines that qualitative and quantitative studies of surface states lead to relevant information for analyzing works of art, with lots of potential for art history, restorers, and curators. The discrimination between different artistic techniques and the influence of a varnish on the leveling of paint surfaces are presented. The second purpose is the comparison between different nondestructive optical topographic methods, i.e., goniophotometry, optical coherence topography, and confocal microscopy, according to their accuracy, their discriminatory ability, their practicability inside a museum, and the size limits of the studied objects.

If you're looking to sell some phony art, your time appears to be running out. Dartmouth researchers can spot art forgeries using neuroscience techniques, while Polish scientists use medical imaging technology to do likewise. The Dartmouth College team of James Hughes, Daniel Graham, and Daniel Rockmore took an established part of neuroscience - the notion of sparse coding - and applied it to the art world. Sparse coding technology imitates the human visual system by attempting to replicate the ways in which the brain takes complex images and breaks them down into simple patterns thanks to a series of filter neurons ...