The exhibition “The Ladies of Art”, held at the Palazzo Reale in Milan in 2021, focused on the hi... more The exhibition “The Ladies of Art”, held at the Palazzo Reale in Milan in 2021, focused on the history of women artists during the 16th and 17th centuries. As part of the exhibition, a series of diagnostic analyses have been carried out on two paintings, thanks to the collaboration of several research institutions. The considered artworks consist of two paintings on parchments, realized by Giovanna Garzoni at the Savoy Court in the 17th century. Diagnostic analyses were performed using different, complementary, and non-invasive techniques: high-resolution multiband imaging, hyperspectral imaging, optical microscopy, X-ray fluorescence, and FORS spectrometry, combined with advanced post-processing techniques, in order to map and distinguish the pigments and the underdrawing of both the paintings. This research is the first conducted on these paintings and one of the few on the entire works of this important miniaturist. The results showed an incredibly meticulous painting technique, ...
Digitalization techniques, such as photogrammetry (PG), are attracting the interest of experts in... more Digitalization techniques, such as photogrammetry (PG), are attracting the interest of experts in the cultural heritage field, as they enable the creation of three-dimensional virtual replicas of historical artifacts with 2D digital images. Indeed, PG allows for acquiring data regarding the overall appearance of an artifact, its geometry, and its texture. Furthermore, among several image-based techniques exploited for the conservation of works of art, multispectral imaging (MSI) finds great application in the study of the materials of historical items, taking advantage of the different responses of materials when exposed to specific wavelengths. Despite their great usefulness, PG and MSI are often used as separate tools. Integrating radiometric and geometrical data can notably expand the information carried by a 3D model. Therefore, this paper presents a novel research methodology that enables the acquisition of multispectral 3D models, combining the outcomes of PG and MSI (Visible ...
Technart 2015 Non destructive and microanalytical techniques in Art and Cultural Heritage, Catani... more Technart 2015 Non destructive and microanalytical techniques in Art and Cultural Heritage, Catania, 2015 Technart Book of Abstracts Editore: LNF-INFN, CNR IBAM Universita Di Catania, ICOM-CC, Aiar
Since in Ancient Egypt to the present, gold leaf gilding has been highly appreciated for giving t... more Since in Ancient Egypt to the present, gold leaf gilding has been highly appreciated for giving the artifacts the brightness of the precious metal. C. Cennini in “Libro dell'Arte” mentions the use of gold backgrounds for enhancing colours of polychrome panel paintings. Among several methods of gilding, guazzo was the most complex one: after plastering the wooden support, a layer of Armenian bole was spread and then the gold leaf applied, optionally burnished with in agate tools; burnishing makes the leaf smoother and brighter, exploiting the bole’s plasticity. According to the modern concept of restoration, integration of the gold leaf’s lacunae presents practical and conceptual difficulties, as it has to present a very peculiar artistic technique, being as most as possible recognisable, re-tractable and aesthetic. Among many integration methods (mimetic, with watercolours, mica powder, etc.), burnished guazzo remains, as in antiquity, the only technique for obtaining so brilliant surfaces, thus presenting the problem of recognisability. Our study aimed at making integration recognisable and localizable by non-invasive imaging techniques, by lightly modifying the composition of the preparatory layers.
The potential of any multi-analytical and non-invasive approach to the study of cultural heritage... more The potential of any multi-analytical and non-invasive approach to the study of cultural heritage, both for conservation and scientific investigation purposes, is gaining increasing interest, and it was tested in this paper, focusing on the panel painting Madonna della Tenda (Musei Reali, Turin), identified as a 16th-century copy of the painting by Raffaello Sanzio. As a part of a broader diagnostic campaign carried out at the Centro Conservazione e Restauro, La Venaria Reale in Turin, Italy, the potential of the combination of X-ray radiography, pulse-compression thermography, macro X-ray fluorescence, and IR reflectography was tested to investigate the wooden support and all the preparatory phases for the realization of the painting. The results of the optical microscopy and SEM/EDS analyses on a multi-layered micro-sample were used for a precise comparison, integration, and/or confirmation of what was suggested by the non-invasive techniques. Particularly, the radiographic and th...
2020 6th IEEE Congress on Information Science and Technology (CiSt), 2020
In this paper, we discuss the application of Multispectral Imaging combined with statistical algo... more In this paper, we discuss the application of Multispectral Imaging combined with statistical algorithms for enhancing hidden patterns to reveal part of the no more readable hieroglyphics in an ancient Egyptian stele. A series of images was taken at different wavelengths of the upper part of the stele S.6145, coming from the archaeological site of Deir El-Medina (Egypt) and currently stored at the Egyptian Museum of Turin (Italy). The analysis of the single images did not allow retrieving the information on the hieroglyphic text. However, the application of Blind Source Separation algorithms allowed to reveal the hidden pattern in a fast and highly efficient way, restoring the correct readability and the value of the artwork itself.
An eco-innovative application of natural dyes and nontoxic mordants was recently experimented at ... more An eco-innovative application of natural dyes and nontoxic mordants was recently experimented at Centro Conservazione e Restauro “La Venaria Reale” (CCR, Italy) in the conservation of some historical tapestries, in collaboration with Coulers de Plantes (CdP, France). Until now, textile conservation makes use of synthetic pre-metallized dyes that contain heavy metals such as chrome and cobalt: the synthetic dyes allow to obtain different hues and saturation levels of the textile fibres simply varying ratio and concentration of three primary dye. This project aimed at finding ecofriendly materials for substituting the synthetic ones. All dyes and mordants used in this application were produced by CdP inside the INNOCOLORS project, carried out by CCR and ARRDHOR CRITT Horticole. A palette of textile fibres was made with 7 natural dyes and 4 nontoxic mordants with more than 300 different recipes. Spectrophotometric and colorimetric analyses were used to evaluate and compare the natural ...
A modern restoration intervention on paintings needs a preliminary investigation of constitutive ... more A modern restoration intervention on paintings needs a preliminary investigation of constitutive materials. This investigation is important to take the proper choices before the restoration intervention and it is decisive in order to provide significant research topics. Spectrophotometric analyses have been carried out on “Profeta Stante”, a Fifteenth century oil-painted panel, in order to determine artist’s colour palette using an absolutely non-invasive method. In accordance with the principle of selective light absorption, which is the basis of spectrophotometry, the result of this analysis are reflectance spectra, the trend of which is typical of each pigment or dye. Then, the particular behaviour of a painted surface to a source emitting the visible wavelength range gives evidence of its nature and it shows how every single pigment is also characterized by the presence of other colour components that confer to it its own hue. Following the false colour infrared (IR-FC) photogra...
A multi-analytical study was carried out on an ancient Egyptian limestone stele with red figures ... more A multi-analytical study was carried out on an ancient Egyptian limestone stele with red figures and hieroglyphs (S. 6145) coming from the village of Deir el-Medina and belonging to the collection of the Museo Egizio (Turin, Italy). With the support of a multidisciplinary team, a project for the preservation and conservation of this stele provided an opportunity to carry out a very detailed study of the object. Petrographic and mineralogical analysis led to the characterization and dating of the limestone, and ultrasonic tests were of great help in shedding light on the state of preservation of the stele, as a preliminary to planning conservation treatment. The chemical nature of the red pigment was investigated by non-invasive spectroscopic analyses. Multispectral imaging and statistical image processing improved the readability of the hieroglyphs, whose preservation ranged from heavily compromised to almost completely invisible, revealing some signs that had previously not been vi...
L'oggetto dell'intervento è una tunica frammentaria di epoca bizantina (400-600 d... more L'oggetto dell'intervento è una tunica frammentaria di epoca bizantina (400-600 d.C.) in fibre intessute di lana e lino del Museo Egizio di Torino. La tunica è stata oggetto di studio e restauro nel corso di una tesi del Corso di Laurea Magistrale Abilitante in Conservazione e Restauro dei Beni Culturali presso La Venaria Reale di Torino. Le dimensioni del manufatto (circa quattro metri quadrati), l'estensione del degrado imputabile alla sua funzione quale sudario, gli effetti di un precedente intervento di restauro invasivo hanno reso il caso di studio estremamente complesso. L'approfondimento storico-artistico ha permesso di vagliare la duplice valenza di questo manufatto: in primis, è stata studiata la tunica come abito della vita, oggetto d'uso quotidiano che, grazie alla sua decorazione e ad una tecnica di pregio come quella dell'arazzo e della navetta volante, ha imposto una grande attenzione ai particolari. Contestualmente, è stato indagato il concetto di tunica come abito della morte al fine di interpretarne correttamente lo stato di conservazione. A tal proposito è stato condotto un approfondimento sull'evoluzione delle tecniche di trattamento del corpo del defunto dall'Egitto faraonico a quello cristiano e sul cambiamento delle pratiche di sepoltura. La datazione della tunica con radiocarbonio ne ha permesso una più precisa collocazione storica (415-560 d.C., 95% probabilità). L'analisi dello stato di conservazione, inoltre, ha posto in evidenza non solo la fragilità del tessuto antico, ma anche la presenza di ulteriori problematiche legate al precedente intervento di restauro, effettuato con l'applicazione, su tutta la superficie del retro, di un voile di seta incollato con un adesivo a base di amido. Tale intervento ha irrigidito e infragilito ulteriormente la tessitura già compromessa. In ragione dello stato di conservazione del manufatto risultava difficile intervenire con il consolidamento ad ago su supporto e si è evidenziata la necessità di intervenire rimuovendo l'adesivo, aspetto che ha comportato il confronto, la sperimentazione e l'adozione di metodologie non convenzionali di intervento. La sperimentazione sulla pulitura chimica per via enzimatica è stata maturata dopo avere testato metodologie di rimozione più tradizionali mediante gel rigidi (Agar, Gellano) che non si sono rivelate completamente efficaci. E' stato quindi individuato un metodo di pulitura chimica alternativo e sperimentale mediante compressa enzimatica appositamente allestita con Gellano additivato di -amilasi (da Bacillus sp.). Rispetto ai metodi di pulitura tradizionali, l'applicazione dell'impacco enzimatico ha consentito di agire superficialmente con minore tempo di contatto e azione meccanica contenuta in fase di rimozione dell'adesivo trattato.
Diagnostic physical methods are increasingly applied to Cultural Heritage both for scientific inv... more Diagnostic physical methods are increasingly applied to Cultural Heritage both for scientific investigations and conservation purposes. In particular, the X-ray imaging techniques of computed tomography (CT) and digital radiography (DR) are non-destructive investigation methods to study an object, being able to give information on its inner structure. In this paper, we present the results of the X-ray imaging study on an ancient Egyptian statuette (Late Period 722–30 BCE) belonging to the collection of Museo Egizio in Torino and representing an Egyptian goddess called Taweret, carved on wood and gilded with some colored details. Since few specific studies have been focused on materials and techniques used in Ancient Egypt for gilding, a detailed investigation was started in order to verify the technical features of the decoration in this sculpture. Specifically, DR and CT analyses have been performed at the Centro Conservazione e Restauro “La Venaria Reale” (CCR), with a new high re...
The exhibition “The Ladies of Art”, held at the Palazzo Reale in Milan in 2021, focused on the hi... more The exhibition “The Ladies of Art”, held at the Palazzo Reale in Milan in 2021, focused on the history of women artists during the 16th and 17th centuries. As part of the exhibition, a series of diagnostic analyses have been carried out on two paintings, thanks to the collaboration of several research institutions. The considered artworks consist of two paintings on parchments, realized by Giovanna Garzoni at the Savoy Court in the 17th century. Diagnostic analyses were performed using different, complementary, and non-invasive techniques: high-resolution multiband imaging, hyperspectral imaging, optical microscopy, X-ray fluorescence, and FORS spectrometry, combined with advanced post-processing techniques, in order to map and distinguish the pigments and the underdrawing of both the paintings. This research is the first conducted on these paintings and one of the few on the entire works of this important miniaturist. The results showed an incredibly meticulous painting technique, ...
Digitalization techniques, such as photogrammetry (PG), are attracting the interest of experts in... more Digitalization techniques, such as photogrammetry (PG), are attracting the interest of experts in the cultural heritage field, as they enable the creation of three-dimensional virtual replicas of historical artifacts with 2D digital images. Indeed, PG allows for acquiring data regarding the overall appearance of an artifact, its geometry, and its texture. Furthermore, among several image-based techniques exploited for the conservation of works of art, multispectral imaging (MSI) finds great application in the study of the materials of historical items, taking advantage of the different responses of materials when exposed to specific wavelengths. Despite their great usefulness, PG and MSI are often used as separate tools. Integrating radiometric and geometrical data can notably expand the information carried by a 3D model. Therefore, this paper presents a novel research methodology that enables the acquisition of multispectral 3D models, combining the outcomes of PG and MSI (Visible ...
Technart 2015 Non destructive and microanalytical techniques in Art and Cultural Heritage, Catani... more Technart 2015 Non destructive and microanalytical techniques in Art and Cultural Heritage, Catania, 2015 Technart Book of Abstracts Editore: LNF-INFN, CNR IBAM Universita Di Catania, ICOM-CC, Aiar
Since in Ancient Egypt to the present, gold leaf gilding has been highly appreciated for giving t... more Since in Ancient Egypt to the present, gold leaf gilding has been highly appreciated for giving the artifacts the brightness of the precious metal. C. Cennini in “Libro dell'Arte” mentions the use of gold backgrounds for enhancing colours of polychrome panel paintings. Among several methods of gilding, guazzo was the most complex one: after plastering the wooden support, a layer of Armenian bole was spread and then the gold leaf applied, optionally burnished with in agate tools; burnishing makes the leaf smoother and brighter, exploiting the bole’s plasticity. According to the modern concept of restoration, integration of the gold leaf’s lacunae presents practical and conceptual difficulties, as it has to present a very peculiar artistic technique, being as most as possible recognisable, re-tractable and aesthetic. Among many integration methods (mimetic, with watercolours, mica powder, etc.), burnished guazzo remains, as in antiquity, the only technique for obtaining so brilliant surfaces, thus presenting the problem of recognisability. Our study aimed at making integration recognisable and localizable by non-invasive imaging techniques, by lightly modifying the composition of the preparatory layers.
The potential of any multi-analytical and non-invasive approach to the study of cultural heritage... more The potential of any multi-analytical and non-invasive approach to the study of cultural heritage, both for conservation and scientific investigation purposes, is gaining increasing interest, and it was tested in this paper, focusing on the panel painting Madonna della Tenda (Musei Reali, Turin), identified as a 16th-century copy of the painting by Raffaello Sanzio. As a part of a broader diagnostic campaign carried out at the Centro Conservazione e Restauro, La Venaria Reale in Turin, Italy, the potential of the combination of X-ray radiography, pulse-compression thermography, macro X-ray fluorescence, and IR reflectography was tested to investigate the wooden support and all the preparatory phases for the realization of the painting. The results of the optical microscopy and SEM/EDS analyses on a multi-layered micro-sample were used for a precise comparison, integration, and/or confirmation of what was suggested by the non-invasive techniques. Particularly, the radiographic and th...
2020 6th IEEE Congress on Information Science and Technology (CiSt), 2020
In this paper, we discuss the application of Multispectral Imaging combined with statistical algo... more In this paper, we discuss the application of Multispectral Imaging combined with statistical algorithms for enhancing hidden patterns to reveal part of the no more readable hieroglyphics in an ancient Egyptian stele. A series of images was taken at different wavelengths of the upper part of the stele S.6145, coming from the archaeological site of Deir El-Medina (Egypt) and currently stored at the Egyptian Museum of Turin (Italy). The analysis of the single images did not allow retrieving the information on the hieroglyphic text. However, the application of Blind Source Separation algorithms allowed to reveal the hidden pattern in a fast and highly efficient way, restoring the correct readability and the value of the artwork itself.
An eco-innovative application of natural dyes and nontoxic mordants was recently experimented at ... more An eco-innovative application of natural dyes and nontoxic mordants was recently experimented at Centro Conservazione e Restauro “La Venaria Reale” (CCR, Italy) in the conservation of some historical tapestries, in collaboration with Coulers de Plantes (CdP, France). Until now, textile conservation makes use of synthetic pre-metallized dyes that contain heavy metals such as chrome and cobalt: the synthetic dyes allow to obtain different hues and saturation levels of the textile fibres simply varying ratio and concentration of three primary dye. This project aimed at finding ecofriendly materials for substituting the synthetic ones. All dyes and mordants used in this application were produced by CdP inside the INNOCOLORS project, carried out by CCR and ARRDHOR CRITT Horticole. A palette of textile fibres was made with 7 natural dyes and 4 nontoxic mordants with more than 300 different recipes. Spectrophotometric and colorimetric analyses were used to evaluate and compare the natural ...
A modern restoration intervention on paintings needs a preliminary investigation of constitutive ... more A modern restoration intervention on paintings needs a preliminary investigation of constitutive materials. This investigation is important to take the proper choices before the restoration intervention and it is decisive in order to provide significant research topics. Spectrophotometric analyses have been carried out on “Profeta Stante”, a Fifteenth century oil-painted panel, in order to determine artist’s colour palette using an absolutely non-invasive method. In accordance with the principle of selective light absorption, which is the basis of spectrophotometry, the result of this analysis are reflectance spectra, the trend of which is typical of each pigment or dye. Then, the particular behaviour of a painted surface to a source emitting the visible wavelength range gives evidence of its nature and it shows how every single pigment is also characterized by the presence of other colour components that confer to it its own hue. Following the false colour infrared (IR-FC) photogra...
A multi-analytical study was carried out on an ancient Egyptian limestone stele with red figures ... more A multi-analytical study was carried out on an ancient Egyptian limestone stele with red figures and hieroglyphs (S. 6145) coming from the village of Deir el-Medina and belonging to the collection of the Museo Egizio (Turin, Italy). With the support of a multidisciplinary team, a project for the preservation and conservation of this stele provided an opportunity to carry out a very detailed study of the object. Petrographic and mineralogical analysis led to the characterization and dating of the limestone, and ultrasonic tests were of great help in shedding light on the state of preservation of the stele, as a preliminary to planning conservation treatment. The chemical nature of the red pigment was investigated by non-invasive spectroscopic analyses. Multispectral imaging and statistical image processing improved the readability of the hieroglyphs, whose preservation ranged from heavily compromised to almost completely invisible, revealing some signs that had previously not been vi...
L'oggetto dell'intervento è una tunica frammentaria di epoca bizantina (400-600 d... more L'oggetto dell'intervento è una tunica frammentaria di epoca bizantina (400-600 d.C.) in fibre intessute di lana e lino del Museo Egizio di Torino. La tunica è stata oggetto di studio e restauro nel corso di una tesi del Corso di Laurea Magistrale Abilitante in Conservazione e Restauro dei Beni Culturali presso La Venaria Reale di Torino. Le dimensioni del manufatto (circa quattro metri quadrati), l'estensione del degrado imputabile alla sua funzione quale sudario, gli effetti di un precedente intervento di restauro invasivo hanno reso il caso di studio estremamente complesso. L'approfondimento storico-artistico ha permesso di vagliare la duplice valenza di questo manufatto: in primis, è stata studiata la tunica come abito della vita, oggetto d'uso quotidiano che, grazie alla sua decorazione e ad una tecnica di pregio come quella dell'arazzo e della navetta volante, ha imposto una grande attenzione ai particolari. Contestualmente, è stato indagato il concetto di tunica come abito della morte al fine di interpretarne correttamente lo stato di conservazione. A tal proposito è stato condotto un approfondimento sull'evoluzione delle tecniche di trattamento del corpo del defunto dall'Egitto faraonico a quello cristiano e sul cambiamento delle pratiche di sepoltura. La datazione della tunica con radiocarbonio ne ha permesso una più precisa collocazione storica (415-560 d.C., 95% probabilità). L'analisi dello stato di conservazione, inoltre, ha posto in evidenza non solo la fragilità del tessuto antico, ma anche la presenza di ulteriori problematiche legate al precedente intervento di restauro, effettuato con l'applicazione, su tutta la superficie del retro, di un voile di seta incollato con un adesivo a base di amido. Tale intervento ha irrigidito e infragilito ulteriormente la tessitura già compromessa. In ragione dello stato di conservazione del manufatto risultava difficile intervenire con il consolidamento ad ago su supporto e si è evidenziata la necessità di intervenire rimuovendo l'adesivo, aspetto che ha comportato il confronto, la sperimentazione e l'adozione di metodologie non convenzionali di intervento. La sperimentazione sulla pulitura chimica per via enzimatica è stata maturata dopo avere testato metodologie di rimozione più tradizionali mediante gel rigidi (Agar, Gellano) che non si sono rivelate completamente efficaci. E' stato quindi individuato un metodo di pulitura chimica alternativo e sperimentale mediante compressa enzimatica appositamente allestita con Gellano additivato di -amilasi (da Bacillus sp.). Rispetto ai metodi di pulitura tradizionali, l'applicazione dell'impacco enzimatico ha consentito di agire superficialmente con minore tempo di contatto e azione meccanica contenuta in fase di rimozione dell'adesivo trattato.
Diagnostic physical methods are increasingly applied to Cultural Heritage both for scientific inv... more Diagnostic physical methods are increasingly applied to Cultural Heritage both for scientific investigations and conservation purposes. In particular, the X-ray imaging techniques of computed tomography (CT) and digital radiography (DR) are non-destructive investigation methods to study an object, being able to give information on its inner structure. In this paper, we present the results of the X-ray imaging study on an ancient Egyptian statuette (Late Period 722–30 BCE) belonging to the collection of Museo Egizio in Torino and representing an Egyptian goddess called Taweret, carved on wood and gilded with some colored details. Since few specific studies have been focused on materials and techniques used in Ancient Egypt for gilding, a detailed investigation was started in order to verify the technical features of the decoration in this sculpture. Specifically, DR and CT analyses have been performed at the Centro Conservazione e Restauro “La Venaria Reale” (CCR), with a new high re...
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