Term: Spring

Prerequisites: Good basic knowledge of Chemistry

This course teaches students to read information about the artwork through diagnostic examinations. Students learn to recognize the state of conservation, the execution techniques, previous restorations, and, if possible, the date of the artworks. The first part of the course is based on optical and nuclear techniques for diagnostics. Lecturers discuss light structures, digital imaging, light detectors and sources, infrared reflectography, particle induced x-ray emission (PIXE), neutron activation analysis, atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS), micro-raman spectroscopy, and dating techniques such as C14 and thermoluminescence. Principles and applications of laser cleaning are also introduced. In the second part of the course, image diagnostics are investigated, such as radiographic exams, ultraviolet fluorescence, and infrared photography.

(See syllabus below. An updated syllabus will be posted at the beginning of each term.)

Syllabus & Faculty

• Spring 2020 (Leonardo Borgioli)