World culture: New technique lets scholars examine old paintings

During the 241st meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society a group of scientists from Belgium, the Netherlands and the USA described the use of a new technique to see the paintings under the paintings.

“The underpainting was the first and most important step in creating a work of art,” explained lead scientist Matthias Alfeld from the University of Antwerp in Belgium. “It was the sketch that guided the artist through the creative process. The Old Masters generally used to roughly indicate light, shade and contours. Observation of the underpainting would allow us to see the first execution of the artist’s vision of the painting. It’s a more detailed look over the shoulder of the artist at work. But the underpainting has virtually escaped all imaging efforts”.

The scholars described use of a powerful new technique called scanning macro X-ray fluorescence analysis that allows more detailed imaging of the composition of underpaintings. It is portable enough for use on-the-scene in museums and does not harm priceless artwork. The technology already has provided new insights into the nature of the paint that some Old Masters used in their underpainting.

An analysis of paintings from the workshops of Rembrandt and Caravaggio, for instance, led them to the conclusion that the Old Masters used recycled leftovers from the palette. “Using the new technique, we hope to disperse doubts about the authenticity of several paintings”, Alfeld said.