X-ray imaging shows how 17th century paintings lost their color
As beautiful as it may look, works of art are not immortal. For example, pigments and binders in oil paintings are inevitably degraded. Fluctuations in light, humidity, and temperature are common causes, but exposure to certain cleaning solvents during conservation and improper mixing of pigments by the artist can also destabilize the paint over time. The task of conservation scientists is to understand the chemical reactions that cause degradation to answer three questions: How was the painting created, how did it first appear, and how did it change—both naturally and by intervention? The questions are not completely backwards. By reconstructing how the painting deteriorated, conservators may be able to prevent further damage and better preserve it. Painting conservator and doctoral student Nouchka De Keyser (Rijksmuseum, University of Amsterdam, and University of Antwerp), his advisers Katrien Keune and Koen Janssens, and their colleagues scientifically answered all three questio