Microscopy for Art Examination: Polarizing Microscopy

This video is just an emotional collection of images. I say emotional because it is a pleasure looking at the mineral pigments under the microscope. Readings I suggest to get a serious handle of polarizing microscopy for art examination are ][1, 2, 3, 4]. And if you want to know EVERYTHING about pigments identification I suggest the impressive Pigment Compendium [5]. This video briefly shows the characterizing features that can lead to a pigment identification with a polarizing microscope. First, you look at the size of the grains, then their shape, pleochroism (minerals change opacity and color intensity while rotating the stage in plane polarized light), Becke line and Isotropy.

Addendum 
I looked at this blog’s stats and I noticed it got kind of viral! It already got toward 5000 views! I’m very pleased by the interest this topic is gathering and that the way I like to tell this story is appreciated by colleagues and just curious guys worldwide. This little effort of mine has been possible with the support I got from The Bergen Museum of Art in Norway. The Head of Conservation, Yngve, showed me the necessities of medium-small museums. Coming from Academia, I didn’t have any insight into this sector. Our talks inspired me this idea of focusing my research into innovative yet budget solutions in order to have a real impact in art conservation and examination. I need to thank then the museum’s Director, Erlend and the curator, Line, for believing in my projects and finding funds to concretely let me work there on their amazing collection of Edvard Munch and J.C Dahl. Thanks to the museum’s stuff (conservators, Ekaterina, Janine, photographer, Dag and Berhanu for showing me the best kebab in Bergen, haha) for their help and patience – documenting 49 Munch’s paintings in just 2 weeks, was a lot of work for everybody in the museum (framing, unframing, moving art..).

[1] W. C McCrone (1982) “The Microscopical Identification of Artists’ Pigments” Journal of the International Institute for Conservation—Canadian Group 7 (1–2):11–34.

[2] N. Petraco, T. Kubic (2003) “Color Atlas and Manual of Microscopy for Criminalists, Chemists, and Conservators”

[3] B. Wheeler, L.J.Wilson (2008) “Practical Forensic microscopy”

[4] W. C. McCrone, L. B. McCrone, J. G. Delly (1978) “Polarized Light Microscopy”

[5] N. Eastaugh, V. Walsh, T. Chaplin, R. Siddall “Pigment Compendium” Routledge, 2008.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]