Episode 4: Artemisia UpClose Restoration

Artemisia's Painting Undergoes Scanning Techniques and Analysis by the National Institute of Optics Dr. Raffella Fontana heads the team at INO team at the National Institute of Optics, in Florence: “We are making a virtual 3-D model,” she says of Artemisia Gentileschi's Allegory of Inclination at Casa Buonarroti. "We’ll be able to zoom into Artemisia’s pentimenti – where she changed her mind – and follow the contours of her craquelure." “This is micrometric analysis," Fontana continues, "but it is without distortion, so we see how cracks are formed over time, if they contain paint, and how they can be corrected. Using a technique called Optical Coherence Tomography, we study the thickness of the varnish and document the painterly layer before and after the restoration process. One day, if we’d like, we will be able to transform this virtual model, using a CAD programme, and create a physical model.” To watch, click the image above.