- Understand the relevance of vanadium in modern and contemporary art.
- Recognize the characteristics of vanadium’s X-ray spectral lines in XRF analysis.
- Analyze spectral data from pure vanadium and bismuth vanadate yellow pigments using XRF spectroscopy.
- Apply the low-kev filter setup for detecting vanadium in pigment samples.
- XRF spectrometer with low-kev filter setup
- Pure vanadium cube
- Bismuth vanadate yellow pigment (from Pigments Checker)
- Discuss the significance of vanadium in the context of modern and contemporary art.
- Highlight its use in pigments, particularly bismuth vanadate yellow, for outdoor applications.
- Introduce the K-alpha (4.9 keV) and K-beta (5.4 keV) X-ray lines of vanadium.
- Conduct XRF analysis with the low-kev filter setup, highlighting the high-intensity peaks achieved.
- Perform XRF analysis on the bismuth vanadate yellow pigment using the Pigments Checker.
- Explain the role of the low-kev filter setup in detecting vanadium peaks at lower counts.
To reinforce the concepts discussed here, we also provide a video lesson that visually walks through the key points of this topic. Watching the video alongside the text can help you better understand and apply these ideas in practice.
The course XRF Spectroscopy for Art Examination introduces conservators, art historians, and scientists with interest in Art to the principles and practical applications of X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy in the examination of artworks. The course starts with basic principles of XRF and gradually explores its role in identifying materials and methods used in the creation and conservation of art.
Course Objectives
- Understand the fundamentals of XRF spectroscopy and how it applies to the analysis of art.
- Learn the key features and limitations of XRF for examining art and archaeology.
- Gain skills in interpreting XRF spectra to identify specific elements in paint layers, inks and metals.
Scientific Art Examination – Resources:
Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) – USA
The British Museum – Scientific Research Department – UK
Scientific Research Department – The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA
C2RMF (Centre de Recherche et de Restauration des Musées de France) – France
Rijksmuseum – Science Department – Netherlands
