News
Friday 2 September 2005
Vital boost for art conservation
The examination and conservation of historic paintings could be improved dramatically after scientists discovered an innovative way of examining the surface layers of artwork. A study, led by experts at Nottingham Trent University, has revealed that Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), a method used for 3D imaging of biological samples, can also be used to visualise all the layers of a painting, right down to the artist’s preliminary sketches.
The team, which also includes experts from the Applied Optics Group at the University of Kent, the Scientific Department of London’s National Gallery and Opthalmic Technologies Inc in Canada, has found that old and delicate artwork could benefit from OCT.
OCT is an infrared interferometric technique normally applied to high-resolution scanning of the internal microstructure of living tissue. It originates from Albert Michelson’s interferometer which was first used for astronomy in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to measure the size and shape of objects in space.
The discovery, which has just been published in the leading optics journal, Optics Express, means that for the first time, pieces of art can be examined in a non-invasive and non-destructive way. The current system for examining paintings requires physically taking a sample from the piece and placing it under a microscope.Dr Haida Liang, a Senior Lecturer in Physics from Nottingham Trent University’s School of Biomedical and Natural Sciences, said: “Seeing the layers of a painting makes it possible to understand the techniques and materials which were used by the artist and how the paint and varnish layers are deteriorating over time. It is hoped this will provide a step forward in finding ways to safeguard paintings from further deterioration.”
The method is so successful in seeing through the internal layers partly because paint layers are mostly transparent to infrared.
Working alongside the University of Kent, the National Gallery and the British Museum, Dr Liang is now applying for funding to take the research to the next level and to expand the range of works of art on which it can be used.
She said: “We are so excited about this discovery. For the first time without touching the painting we can see what is underneath and what is happening there. This can show us where problems are arising and how best to rectify them. Optical Coherence Tomography has great potential in the future examination of museum and gallery paintings.
“Since non-invasive techniques are highly sought after in both medical applications and art conservation, it is not surprising that these techniques are often transferable,” she said.
ENDS
For more information please contact:
Dave Rogers, Press Officer, on Tel: 0115 848 2650 or via email: dave.rogers@ntu.ac.uk
Or Therese Easom, Press and Media Relations Manager, on Tel: 0115 848 6589 or via email: therese.easom@ntu.ac.uk
Editor’s notes
1. The study was conducted in the Applied Optics Group (AOG) at the University of Kent, Canterbury, using novel en-face OCT instruments which AOG has devised for imaging the eye. The images were interpreted using specialised 3D software for en-face OCT developed by specialists at Ophthalmic Technologies Inc in Canada.
2. http://www.opticsexpress.org/abstract.cfm?URI=OPEX-13-16-6133,
