Advances in Raman mapping of works of art

Abstract

Raman mapping can provide molecular information to complement data derived from other analytical techniques in works of art and other objects of cultural significance. Raman mapping can be performed using a motorized microscope stage that moves a sample or an object point by point in two spatial directions. The method can be used both noninvasively in works of art that fit under a microscope objective and in microsamples when, for example, obtaining information on the samples' layering structure is necessary. This paper reports on the development of a Raman mapping approach based on a set of scanning mirrors that direct the laser beam in two spatial directions, vertically through the microscope head or through a horizontal exit on the Raman microspectrometer. The first configuration still has limitations in terms of the size of the work of art that can be analyzed, as it has to fit under the microscope objective, but considerably larger objects can be studied when using the scanning mirrors placed in the horizontal exit. In this paper, the advantages and limitations of these two Raman mapping approaches are compared and discussed on the basis of an example of a contemporary oil painting on canvas. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Laser-induced REE3+ photoluminescence of selected accessory minerals — An “advantageous artefact” in Raman spectroscopy

“…The most common field of application of Raman spectroscopy is the identification of mineral phases and components of geological samples on the basis of spectral fingerprint-characteristics. Examples include the fields of gemmology (e.g., Fritsch et al, 2004;Jasinevicius, 2009;Bersani and Lottici, 2010;Bersani et al, 2014), archaeometry and cultural heritage (e.g., Edwards et al, 2000;Smith, 2006;Vandenabeele et al, 2007;Ropret et al, 2010), high-pressure petrology (e.g., Korsakov et al, 2005;Stähle et al, 2008;Marschall et al, 2009), planetary mineralogy (e.g., Wang et al, 1995;Sharma et al, 2003;Wang et al, 2004;Popp and Schmitt, 2004;Bozlee et al, 2005;Blacksberg et al, 2010), environmental mineralogy (e.g., Das and Hendry, 2011), palaeontology (e.g., Schopf et al, 2002;Bernard et al, 2007;Chen et al, 2007), biomineralogy (e.g., Li et al, 2013;Pasteris et al, 2014), and many other disciplines. Furthermore, Earth scientists have become increasingly interested in the application of the hyperspectral Raman-mapping technique.…”

Raman spectroscopy in art and archaeology

“…The classical Raman mapping is performed using a motorised microscope stage that moves a sample or an object point-by-point in two spatial directions. The paper from Ropret et al [14] reports on the development of a new Raman mapping approach based on a set of scanning mirrors that direct the laser beam in two spatial directions, vertically through the microscope head or through a horizontal exit on the Raman micro-spectrometer. The advantages and limitations of these two Raman mapping approaches are compared and discussed based on an example of a contemporary oil painting on canvas.…”

Raman spectroscopic analysis of a belltower commemorative wall decoration

“…The applicability of Raman spectroscopy to the analysis of archaeological artefacts and art works has been amply demonstrated in recent years [1][2][3][4][5]. From the identification of mineral pigment composition, degradation and substrates in ancient frescoes and wall paintings [6][7][8][9][10] and in polychrome statuary [11] to the discovery and evaluation of biological degradation in organic dyes [12,13], textiles [14,15], endangered rock art exposed to hostile environments [16][17][18][19][20] and on the pigments on historiated manuscripts and parchments [21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34] much novel information has been revealed at both a microscopic and macroscopic level of molecular interrogation.…”