https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/s13360-022-03639-x
Regular Article
Novel integration of non-invasive imaging techniques for the analysis of an egg tempera painting by Pietro Lorenzetti
1
Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche - Istituto Nazionale di Ottica (CNR-INO), Largo Enrico Fermi 6, 50125, Florence, Italy
2
Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), Via Bruno Rossi, 1, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
3
Dipartimento di fisica e astronomia, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Via Sansone, 1, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
4
Opificio delle Pietre Dure, Via degli Alfani, 78, 50122, Florence, Italy
Received:
30
August
2022
Accepted:
28
December
2022
Published online:
23
January
2023
The identification of an artist's palette through the application of non-invasive techniques is a challenging goal due to the huge variety of artistic materials that constitutes a painting. An effective approach is to combine several techniques providing complementary information in order to minimise the risk of misinterpreting the data. In this paper, we propose a multi-analytical method comprising three non-invasive mapping techniques, namely Reflectance Imaging Spectroscopy (RIS), Macro-X-Ray Fluorescence (MA-XRF) and Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging (FLI), for the study of a fourteenth-century painting by Pietro Lorenzetti from the Uffizi Gallery collection. For the low-cost and time-saving interpretation and integration of the data provided by the different techniques, a purposely developed software for multivariate statistical analysis was used. FLI data were acquired with a prototype applied for the first time on a work of art, and the data were processed with a method based on phasor analysis. The information obtained was discussed within a multidisciplinary team of experts on painting materials and data processing belonging to both the scientific and the conservation community.
© The Author(s) 2023. corrected publication 2023
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