We presented a THz examination of a gilded XIV c. tempera panel at LACONA 2014. The panel belongs to the Biblioteca comunale di Taormina (Sicily) and it is currently under restoration by Angelo Cristaudo.
LACONA – conference of the Lasers in the Conservation of Artworks – gathers researchers in Laser-based techniques for the conservation of cultural heritage. CHSOS presented a poster together with DTU (Technical University of Denmark) Fotonik – Department of Photonics Engineering. This year the conference was held 9-13 june in the United Arab Emirates. I have been collaborating with Corinna Koch Dandolo, PhD student at the prestigious DTU (Technical University of Denmark) Fotonik, whose research focuses on developing art examination applications for the THz (Terahertz) imaging technique. This is a video about the THz technique “Terahertz and Art Examination.” I already posted on her THz examination of the newly discovered frescoes in Aci Sant’Antonio and the study of two wooden statues.
International Researchers are welcomed to propose scientific art examination research for the field projects in Sicily that I’m already working on. I wrote down a MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) highlighting the goals of these collaborations. These involve myself and other Sicilian professionals in the cultural heritage sector which help me to accomplish them taking care of the logistics, the relations with the authorities involved and adding their specific competence to the team.
This study has been supported by her supervisor, Prof. Peter Uhd Jepsen, leader of the ‘Terahertz Science and Technology” group, who was so kind to send Corinna for these case studies in Sicily. To the best of our knowledge, this was the first Terahertz art examinations in Sicily and one of the few in Italy. Two days of the week were devoted to the examination of two paintings. The first is a large Annunciation canvas which during a cleaning test showed the presence of an under painting. The Annunciation could be removed and the second painting brought to light. THz was used in order to test its capacity to image the under painting. This would be an useful to evaluate its actual condition.
The second painting tested is a precious 1300s gilded panel Madonna and Child which will soon be restored. The THz examination will provide information to guide the restoration process.
