RES provides expertise and studies of artworks in various contexts of collection management, inventories, loans, conservation monitoring, setting-up and dismantling exhibition… This specialty includes the elaboration of specific reference documents requiring a reflection on the objectives of each situation. Our research center is also at the service of institutions and private individuals who wish to clarify the origin and age of their paintings, authenticate them or estimate them.

 

The objective of the commissioning of studies on artworks are multiple and fall withing different frameworks that are:

  • An in-depth knowledge of the execution technique and the constituent materials
  • An exhaustive report on the condition of the artwork
  • A better understanding of the alterations

RES proposes the scientific aspect of the restorer’s work. Indeed, a diagnosis contains precious information for the different specialties of the art world, historians, curators, scientists, and restorers. It also allows to adapt the restoration protocol in a precise way.

A condition reports is a health sheet of artworks that facilitates their follow-up. It is a documentation of the material state of the artwork which notes its level of alteration (type of damage, its nature, its location and its extent) and issues a prognosis concerning its future evolution in the case where no conservation-restoration intervention would be made. It also anticipates the proposal of restoration treatments to be carried out.

On this report, we find several essential information:

  • The identification sheet of the work: title, author, date, dimension, etc.
  • The constituent materials: canvas or panel, oil or tempera, etc.
  • The state of alteration of the support
  • The state of alteration of the paint layer

In some cases, the whole is accompanied by a cartography of the alterations (captioned diagram which locates the degradations on the work).

Reports are written for different reasons: when works arrive at the workshop (before restoration), for exhibitions (departure and return), for estimates, for convoying, in case of disaster.

A condition report is a central element in the decision-making process concerning a work and its support before acquiring it, exhibiting it or lending it.

  • Preventive conservation
  • Condition reports
  • Monitoring of collections
  • Monitoring of exhibition set-up and dismantling
  • Museography
  • Purchasing advice
  • Fitting out of workshops and storerooms

When you choose RES, you benefit from the skills of a specialised team that will carry out a complete analysis of your project. Our experts and restorers are at your disposal to identify your needs and provide you with the most complete diagnosis possible.

We offer you a global and detailed expertise of your collections and accompany you in their preservation and enhancement. In addition, as a continuation of these services, we offer support in the management of their conservation so that it is as efficient as possible.

Whether you are an institution, a collector or an informed amateur, we will offer you the best solutions.

We ensure regular follow-up with our clients throughout the process, favouring exchange, advice and specialised expertise, in an atmosphere of trust, security and full transparency.

Restorers and art conservators now have increasingly sophisticated tools at their disposal, supported by the latest technological advances, allowing them to gain access to much more data.

RES is equipped with an Apollo infrared reflectography camera, developed by Opus Instruments Ltd, currently the most powerful machine in the field of ultra-fast infrared capture. It allows all carbon-based elements to be seen through the visible paint layers, revealing the early stages of a composition as well as alterations invisible to the naked eye.

Following in the footsteps of the famous Osiris camera, Apollo uses an internal scanning mechanism to produce high quality infrared reflectograms with an unparalleled level of clarity and detail, with over 65,000 grey levels. Unlike the Osiris line sensor, the Apollo uses a area sensor to capture thousands of tiles which are then automatically stitched together to create very high-definition images. The Apollo also features a dramatic improvement in dynamic range, capturing fine detail even in the most difficult areas of subjects.

High resolution (up to 26-megapixel)
65,000 grey levels
Higher image quality due to high dynamic range (HDR)
Advanced automated stitching
16-bit data

Understanding the artist’s creative process is a fundamental part of restoration operations as well as for the analysis of works of art: studying the underlying composition of a work using infrared imaging provides information on specific production methods and allows for the identification of pentimenti and changes made by the artist during the development phase. This technique is also used to reveal signatures, dates or inscriptions obscured by time or deliberately hidden.

The Osiris camera, developed by Opus Instruments Ltd, is the first infrared imaging system to provide high resolution, ultra-fast capture images through a lightweight camera, making it a pioneer in the field. Whether studying the underlying design, researching the history, provenance, authenticity of a painting or documenting restoration operations, the Osiris features an internal mechanical scanning system to create high-quality, 16-megapixel images using a leading InGaAs line sensor.

High resolution images (16-megapixel)
Object resolution down to 0.05mm (0.002 inches)
Single, finished image produced in minutes, without the need for further processing
Standard lens; 200mm to infinity
Macro Lens; extends down to objects just 35mm in size

The Zeiss Stemi 508 Greenough Stereomicroscope is renowned for its unparalleled optical quality. The model we use has been specially designed to offer the best performance and integrates in a compact design all the features necessary for high quality observation.

The Stemi 508 allows for the observation of both large parts and tiny details as well as to analyse many types of samples. It provides remarkably accurate colour rendering thanks to its large field of view and, through its apochromatic correction, images appear sharper, devoid of stray light. The image, obtained in three dimensions, without any distortion, allows for a meticulous analysis. A concentrate of technology with high quality components and exceptional resolution.

Zeiss Stemi 508 Greenough Stereomicroscope
Design principle: Double zoom systems, tilted to the stereoscopic angle
Stereoscopic view: Three-dimensional observation through eyepieces.
Frontal optics and apochromatically corrected zoom: chromatic aberration-free image in the entire magnification range.
Magnification range: 1.9× – 250×
Free working distances: 35 – 287 mm

The contactless, non-destructive, and accurate examination of artworks is crucial at the beginning of any conservation/restoration project, whether it be for cleaning, studying or authenticating. For the conservator, who aims for the least invasive intervention possible, the results of the diagnostic examinations are fundamental to understand where and how to intervene, thus planning the most appropriate operations.

The Dino-lite microscope, portable and allowing high magnification and transmission to a screen in excellent image quality, offers the maneuverability and level of detail necessary to comfortably examine even very large paintings in situ.

Fine cracks, complex painting techniques and brushstrokes, specificity of pigments or signatures that have faded over the centuries, are all unsuspected and invisible to the naked eye, until the Dino-lite microscope reveals them accurately, providing useful information for both restoration work and historical research.

Dino-Lite AM7013MZT USB Digital Microscope
Range: Universal

Resolution: 5-megapixel

Magnification: 10-70x, 200x

Connection: USB 2.0

Features: Measurement & Calibration, ESD Resistant Metal Housing

Special Features: Polarizer

Number of LEDs: 8

Among the methods for examining paintings, ultraviolet fluorescence is certainly one of the most popular and widespread. This technique is mainly used to determine the state of deterioration of works and, in particular, to check the existence and extent of non-original parts of the paint layer.

Varnishes based on natural resins, glues, oils or other substances of organic origin such as egg white (often applied to protect paintings on panels) will also be highlighted, allowing for a verification not only of their presence, but also of their superposition and their homogeneity.

During cleaning operations of a painting, the repeated control under Reskolux ultraviolet lamps gives the possibility to check, at any given time, the work in progress, the degree of homogeneity and thinning of the varnish, the presence of additional layers, as well as stains of glue or other materials, residues of previous interventions. In other words, UV lamps allow a better understanding of the subject under study.

Reskolux UV lamps
Durable high-intensity UV LEDs
Pure UV-A spectrum: 360 nm to 370 nm, peak at 365 nm
Lightweight one-handed operation
Coated triplet aspheric lens, optimised for UV-A radiation

INDUCTED UV FLUORESCENCE

During the restoration phase, it is very important to understand and differentiate the layers that are superimposed on the original. This issue can be solved through the use of lamps emitting at 365-370 nm, also called Wood’s lamps or blacklight sources, which allow the phenomenon of ultraviolet fluorescence.

UV fluorescence refers to the visible fluorescence generated by ultraviolet excitation: UV rays, not visible to the naked eye, are absorbed by the analysed material and immediately re-emitted in the visible range at longer wavelengths. The quantum phenomenon only occurs in molecules or atoms with a favourable absorption/emission energy band structure. Binders and paints, traditionally of plant origin, are among the main candidates.

In addition, brightness, or fluorescence, varies according to the chemical composition of materials and the time elapsed since its application. For this reason, UV fluorescence is proving to be a very useful technique in the identification of repaints which, being added material and generally less ancient than the original, will result in a darker colour.

Madatec UV projector
Pure emission at 365-370 nm
No significant emission in the visible range (< 390 nm)
Rechargeable, long-life 230 volts battery power supply
Mobile and with adaptation to tripod installation

Mapping is essential to have a precise and readable reading of the elements we wish to highlight.

This technique allows:

  • An identification and quantification of the alterations
  • An identification of the constitutive elements
  • An identification of the execution technique

Depending of the element to highlight, we use the image taken in direct light or under infrared. With the help of software and a graphic tablet, we can identify and quantify the desired elements in a visual way. By using different colors, transparencies, or patterns, we obtain a readable image we can then use for diagnosis and to choose a restoration protocol adapted to the specific needs of the work.

Infrared reflectography is a non-invasive technique that allows us to observe and study certain techniques and alterations of the works.

It allows:

  • To identity underlying drawings and initial tracings of a composition
  • To identify petimenti
  • To highlight signatures
  • To identify the layers chronology

 

RES is equipped with an infrared reflectography camera from Opus Instruments Ltd which is currently one of the most powerful machines in this field. It allows the identification of all carbon-based elements through the visible paint layer. The factors that determine the permeability of the infrared radiation in the different layers of the painting are the absorption and reflection of the IR rays to the camera by the elements containing carbon. This technique reveals the early stages of a composition as well as alterations invisible to the naked eye.

In some cases, it is necessary to process photographs to make them more understandable. False Color Infrared Photography, or FCIR, is a non-destructive technique that plays an important role in the diagnosis of paintings. Each pigment has a unique chemical composition that can be identified by the way it absorbs infrared light. This technique allows to identify many pigments and retouching and to distinguish between strata.

To create an FCIR image, a photography is taken in direct light and with an infrared reflectogram. Each pigment is represented by a particular false color that depends on the interaction with infrared rays. Using sophisticated software, it is possible to manipulate the RGB information. The red component in the RGB image is substituted with infrared, green is substituted with red and blue with green.

 

Direct light photography is a direct and essential step in the conservation-restoration process of artworks. It is important that each work is systematically photographed before, during and after the treatment. For this, RES calls upon a professional specialized in the photography of paintings and art objects.

This type of shooting allows image processing (FCIR and cartography) and makes it possible to follow the stages of restoration. It also serves as a reference base and visual documentation of the current state of conservation.

Each work is carefully photographed in a specific room. Using sophisticated, high quality equipment, our photographer takes high definition photos with lighting adapted to each work. A photographic chart ensures that the colors are calibrated to accurately document the current condition of work.

Like direct light photography, low-angled light is a technique widely used by conservators and restorers. It allows to detect and document the nature of the surface of a work.

It reveals the surface texture and deformations of the canvas. It exposes alterations in the paint layer (lifting, flaking, cracking…) and reveals the artist’s technique (brush strokes, impasto…).

A light is placed at an oblique angle to the surface of the work between 5° and 30°. Only one side is illuminated, which creates very strong shadows on all the raised elements. The advantage of this type of light is that it reveals details that are hardly visible in direct light. It can highlight the artist’s technique as well as the alterations of the canvas and the paint layer. Deformations of the support (warping, lack of tension, dents, etc.) are all exposed. Examination under oblique light is therefore a non-invasive technique necessary to understand the nature of the artwork.

Surveys and reconstructions in three dimensions are possible thanks to our partnership with AZIMUT, a company specialized in this type of imaging.

These surveys are useful because they allow us to precisely record the 3D shape of an object, to study surface variations, to make measurements that are not possible in real life and to designate shapes useful for the restoration of artworks.

The capture of the surface of an object in 3D is useful because it allows to record precisely the 3D shape of an object; to study the variations of surface with the tools of roughness measurement (measurement of hollows, slopes and bumps); to carry out measurements not realizable in real; to locate the interventions of analyses or restoration; to designate the useful shapes for the restorations or the presentation of the works.

This method of analysis allows a precision at the micro level of the characterization of surfaces, it allows an analysis of the form, a virtual restoration and to give measurements of geometry.

 

3D photography is a high precision 3D documentation of a work.

The capture of the surface of a work in 3D is useful because it allows to record precisely the 3D shape of an object; to identify the slightest asperities of the material; to locate the interventions of retouching and/or restoration…

3D photography makes it possible to obtain an extremely faithful digital model with a very high degree of accuracy while preserving the work because no contact or sampling is necessary.

Thanks to this type of imaging RES collects essential information for the restoration and analysis of artworks. This technology provides an accurate and relevant record of the works.

Radiography is used to understand the structure of paintings thanks to several generators of different powers. An important work is carried out on the optimal parameters to be applied according to the very varied materials of the heritage and in particular when their presence is mixed (wood, fabrics, pigments, plaster, ivory, glass…).

The radiography shows:

  • The nature and the state of the support and the structure of the work
  • The pictorial technique, the petimenti, or underlying paintings and thus to interpret the gestures and the technique of the artist
  • The presence of marks which can indicate whether it is an original work and not a replica
  • The areas previously restored
  • The state of conservation of the work (pictorial layer, canvas, terracotta, porcelain, earthenware)
  • The presence of wood-eating insects

Ultraviolet light photographs are used to better understand the components of the painting and to evaluate its state of conservation.

They allow:

  • To characterize the nature, the thickness and the application of the different layers
  • To identify certain pigments
  • To identify and locate repaints

They are also a tool for certain restoration treatments

Ultraviolet light photographs are taken in the dark with “black light” neon lights that illuminate the artwork. These neon lights emit UV rays of varying lengths (from 350 to 380nm) which are partially absorbed and reflected by the surface of the painting. A filter is placed on the camera lens which allows only the UV light to pass through.

This technique helps to characterize the varnish thanks to the fluorescence of some natural resins. It also allows to notice and to differentiate the possible restoration campaigns, in particular by the presence of repaints or reintegrations which appear in a dark purplish tint. It also helps to identify certain pigments such as zinc white which fluoresces in a particular way. Ultraviolet light can also be useful to check the efficiency of a solvent or to verify the uniformity of a cleaning/lightening of varnish.

Macro photography is the use of a macro lens in order to obtain high-definition pictures of very small details.

The resulting image reveals information invisible to the naked eye, as well as allowing for the meticulous observation of materials, the surface of the works, textures, cracks and the support.

These photographs are also taken in order to generate very high-resolution images of the work: several shots are taken at high magnification before being digitally stitched together, thus obtaining a level of definition unattainable with normal photography.

This type of photography contributes to a better knowledge of the work and provides useful information for diagnosis and restoration operations. We can thus:

  • See brushstrokes details, allowing for the identification of pictorial styles;
  • Determine the material condition of a painting down to the smallest crack;
  • Observe pigment particles, which help giving an idea of the palette used by the artist.

We also have the possibility to take microscopic pictures by mounting our camera on our ZEISS microscope. These photos greatly facilitate the study of the painted layer, the specific technique that was used, but also cracks, signatures and fingerprints.

Many methods exist to analyze pigments and binders on paintings. They sometimes require the removal of material from the artwork.

Invasive methods

The methods with sampling consist in taking a microscopic part of the pictorial material in order to analyze it. The collected pictorial material is examined under an optical microscope in order to study the stratigraphy of one of the paint layers. To do this, the paint is embedded in a resin and polished in order to observe the different layers which constitute the sample (preparation layer, colored undercoat…). We can thus study the pigment grains and the alterations of the paint layer.

The analysis of the pigments and binders of an artwork is also used to give information by cross-checking on a probable dating by comparing the analyzed pigments with the dates of manufacture of the colors used.

The analysis of the pigments in the stratigraphic section allows a better understanding of the structure of the painting. It reveals overpainting, accidents and cracks, and sometimes even allows the identification of certain pigments.

Non-invasive methods

X-ray fluorescence is a basic analysis that is non-contact and non-taking. X-rays are projected onto the paint layer making each element react in characteristic way.

X-ray fluorescence gives information on the entire thickness of the paint (and not just the superficial layers), so it does not give precise stratigraphic information.

The analysis by means of carbon 14 allows a precise dating of the works. Carbon 14 dating is applied to organic material from living organisms (wood, textiles, ivory, bones, shells…). It makes it possible to determine the moment of death of the organism which corresponds to the tree’s felling, the cutting of the plants or the death of the living being.

Carbon is a radioactive element and its radioactivity decreases over time at a regular rate according to a known process. Indeed, during the life of an organism, the relative concentration of carbon 14 it contains is constant due to respiration, feeding, photosynthesis or any other interaction with the biosphere. At its death, exchanges cease and the concentration of radioactive carbon 14 decreases at a rate of about half every 5500 years.

RES uses it to estimate the age, and therefore the date of realization of a work.

A fragment or a sample of a few tens of milligrams is taken from the artwork or archaeological object and then vaporized. The concentration of carbon 14 is then determined using a mass spectrometer (which allows the separation of atoms according to their mass and valence), by comparison with measurements obtained on standards. Calibration procedures and taking into account possible reservoir effects allow the raw age to be transformed into calendar date interval.

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy is a qualitative elemental analysis of organic products such as inks, dyes, binders, glues, varnishes, gums and resins.

FTIR spectroscopy is widely used for the characterization and identification of organic and inorganic materials. It is a vibrational molecular spectroscopy technique that provides information about the functional groups that constitute molecules, which facilitates the molecular identification of all materials under examination.

This technique can provide accurate information on surface contamination, source materials, alterations and degradation products as well as monitoring cleaning and preservation techniques. The data can be used to provide knowledge for appropriate and adequate conservation and restoration strategies.

XRF (or X-ray fluorescence spectrometry) is a non-destructive, qualitative and quantitative elemental analysis technique for minerals, pigments and alloys.

It can be used to determine the chemical composition of a wide variety of sample types and can identify the major elements present in a solid or powder sample. It is also used to determine the thickness and composition of pictorial layer.

This technique is based on the principle of X-ray fluorescence: when a large quantity of X-rays (emitted by an excitation source) is sent onto the surface of a sample, they are reflected, making each element on the surface react in a characteristic way. These rays are then recovered by the detector and processed to produce an X-ray fluorescence spectrum.

This analysis technique allows the characterization of materials: determination of the different phases (chemical composition, crystalline structure) and description of the microstructure (grain size, texture, imperfections of the networks…).

X-ray fluorescence spectrometry allows the identification of crystallized phases, gives structural information for inorganic materials and allows the characterization of pigments, oxides, etc.

Raman spectrometry is a method of vibrational analysis that gives structural information on the molecules composing the sample of the pictorial material. It consists in the analysis of the radiation emitted when the molecules are excited by a laser beam. This technique is based on the inelastic diffusion of light by the material. The analysis in non-destructive, without contact, without preparation of the sample. In general, this analysis is performed on samples but can also be done directly on paintings.

As it is molecular spectroscopy technique, it provides information on the functional groups that constitute the molecules, which facilitates the molecular identification of all the materials examined.

Raman is used for the identification and characterization of inorganic materials (pigments, corrosion products,…) and some organic materials (synthetic dyes and pigments, many natural dyes and pigments).

Dendrochronology is a comparative analysis technique that, among other things, allows for dating and authenticating wooden objects through the study of tree rings.

This technique is used in art diagnostics as well as in restoration operations for artworks that present a wooden support; a panel can thus be dated through the study of its rings when they are sufficiently numerous and discernible.

The process begins with a meticulous analysis of the growth rings: by examining the width, density, and color variations of these rings, it is possible to establish a distinct pattern, a kind of unique fingerprint, which corresponds to specific chronological periods. This data is then cross-referenced with existing tree-ring chronologies, providing an accurate timeframe during which the tree was cut.

With the continuous advancement of technology, the applications and precision of dendrochronology in the field of art are bound to expand, opening new avenues for exploration and discovery at the intricate intersection of science and art.

The stratigraphic study of a work allows us to understand the succession of the different pictorial layers (preparatory layers, paint layers, varnish, etc.).

This technique makes it possible to identify the layers of which a painting is composed and their relative thickness, allowing for multiple observations on the characteristics of the different layers and therefore giving information relative to the execution technique and materials used.

Characterisation of these mineral and organic materials is carried out by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Raman and infrared spectrometry, chromatography and microchemical tests.

These methods allow for comprehensive stratigraphic studies which include the characterisation of substrates, preparation layers, colouring materials, fillers, binders, etc.

Examination of stratigraphic layers can also be combined with indicator based chemical imaging such as Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry or Raman spectrometry.

Specialist in the photographic documentation and graphic survey of environmental and cultural heritage, Luca Fabiani co-founded Azimut in 1995, a company dedicated to the protection of cultural heritage. Internationally active, he worked on graphic and photographic surveys for redressing the marble of the Hagia Sofia (Istanbul), the Saint Martial Chapel of the Palais des Papes (Avignon), and the Hôtel Salé, site of the Picasso Museum (Paris), and the Aguas Livres Aqueduct (Lisbon).

Raffaella Fontana graduated in Physics and received her PhD in Non-Destructive Techniques at the University of Florence. Since 2004, she is a researcher at the National Institute of Optics of the National Research Council (CNR-INO) where she coordinates the Heritage Science Groupe since 2010. She published more than 50 papers and many book chapters and research monographs. Her research focuses on non-invasive optical techniques for the diagnosis of artworks, mainly imaging techniques and methods for the three-dimensional survey.

Full Professor of Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Perugia and President of the SMAArt (Scientific Methodologies Applied to Archaeology and Art) Center of Excellence until 2015, Bruno Brunetti is member of the Interuniversity Consortium for Materials Science and Technology (INSTM) and also affiliated with the Institute of Chemical Sciences and Technologies (SCITEC) of CNR.

In 2001 he co-founded with Antonio Sgamellotti the mobile laboratory MOLAB, specializing in non-invasive in-situ investigations of artworks. From 2001 to 2015 he was the coordinator of three consecutive European projects in the field of research infrastructures in heritage sciences:

  • Coordinator of the European network LabS-TECH, “Science and Technology Laboratory for the Conservation of European Cultural Heritage”
  • Coordinator of the European integrated infrastructure initiative EU-ARTECH, “Access, Research and Technology for the Conservation of European Cultural Heritage”
  • Coordinator of the European integrated project CHARISMA, “Advanced Research Infrastructures on Cultural Heritage: Synergy for a multidisciplinary approach to conservation”

He is the author of more than 180 publications in the international scientific literature.

Graduate of the Polytechnic School of Turin with a degree in Construction Engineering, Pierluigi Bucci specializes in the conception and analysis of complex structures. For more than 15 years he worked between Italy and France as a consultant for several internationally renowned studios, participating in projects in China, the United States, Korea, Singapore, and Ireland. His background has given him experience with a variety of materials and structures, which he applies to his diagnostic work and rehabilitation of historical buildings in stone, wood, steel, and reinforced concrete.

Since 2014, he founded and led Bucci and Partners s.a.r.l, a firm that analyzes and designs complex structures. Among the projects he has led are the structural project for the exhibition pavilion of the 2020 Venice Biennale, the project of the reassembly of the decorations of the Chancellerie d’Orléans in Paris or the project of the canopy structures of the Brickel City Center in Miami.

Pierluigi Bucci has also participated in the analysis of structures such as the tympanum of the Basilica of Vezelay and the Tomb of the Kings in Jerusalem and has been in charge of the analysis of the stability of the roofing of the Salle des Lampes of the National Assembly in Paris.

Former student of the École du Louvre, Véronique Sorano-Stedman is a graduate of IFROA-INP (National Heritage Institute) and holds a master’s degree in science and techniques of conservation-restoration of cultural property from the Paris I University. She worked for large institutions both in France and internationally before accepting the prestigious position as head of the department of conservation-restoration of modern and contemporary artworks at the National Center for Art and Culture Georges Pompidou (Paris). She directed major projects such as the Apollo Gallery at the Louvre, the Hall of Mirrors at the Château de Versailles, and the Aurora Pavilion in Sceaux.

Specialized in the restoration of contemporary art, Véronique Sorano-Stedman is a member of the Louvre Restoration Commission, of the C2RMF scientific council as well as of the board of directors of the National Heritage Institute (INP).

Giancarla Cilmi is an art historian (EPHE/École du Louvre) specialised in European painting from the 16th to the 18th century. Her doctoral thesis focused on the Italian collection of the Jacquemart-André Museum, the collector phenomenon and the art market between France and Italy at the end of the 19th century.

Lecturer and researcher, she took part, among other things, in the writing of several exhibition catalogues on Italian and, more generally, European painting. She also published several articles in international peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Giancarla has been collaborating with French and Europeans museums for some years, providing them with her unvaluable expertise.

After training in the early 1960s, Ciro Castelli began his collaboration with the Superintendence of Florence for the first interventions on the artworks of the Uffizi following the flood of 1966.

Chief technical restorer at the laboratory of the Opificio delle Pietre Dure, Ciro Castelli’s journey includes an extraordinary series of restorations of major artists, such as Beccafumi, Botticelli, Cimabue, Giotto, Lippi, Masaccio, Raphael, da Vinci, Caravaggio, Rosso Fiorentino, Pontormo, Mantegna and Vasari. His consultations have authoritative weight with museums, institutions, and galleries both in Italy and abroad. Since 2010, he has been training conservators as part of an initiative funded by the Getty Foundation for the Training and Treatment project.

He publishes scientific texts, advanced works and research as well as numerous texts for catalogs.

Roberto Belluci graduated as a Master of Art in 1968 and has been a restorer since 1972 at the Opificio delle Pietre Dure and the Laboratori di Restauro di Firenze. He is the author of more than 100 scientific publications on restoration techniques. He specializes in optical technical-scientific diagnoses of artistic techniques. He is an associate of the CNR-INO (National Institute of Optics) and is involved in the integration of historical-artistic and technical studies using date derived from scientific investigations. In this context, he has participated in numerous international study conferences, presenting lectures on the applications of diagnostics to cultural property.

For the Opificio delle Pietre Dure, he has conducted numerous research projects on the artistic techniques of renowned painters such as Botticelli, Piero della Francesca, Leonardo da Vinci… He has restored numerous artworks, including Botticelli’s Coronation of the Virgin, Leonardo da Vinci’s Adoration of the Magi and Raphael’s Madonna of the Grand Duke.

He was a member of the scientific council of the Opificio delle Pietre Dure and remains the technical and scientific referent of the IPERION-CH project.

 

Graduated from the Central Restoration Institute of Rome (ISCR), with a double specialization in painting and sculpture, as well as a master’s degree in Science and Technology (Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage, Paris I University), Cinzia Pasquali has directed several large-scale restoration projects in Italy, such as the churches of Donna Regina Nuovo in Naples and Santa Barbara dei Librari in Rome, as well as the restoration of numerous paintings, among which are the copper paintings by Dominiquin and Ribera in the Treasure of St. Januarius Chapel in Naples.

Based in France since 1990, she directed the restoration of complex monumental projects, including the Apollo Gallery at the Louvre, the Hall of Mirrors at the Château de Versailles, the Grande Singerie at the Château de Chantilly and, more recently, the decorations of the Chancellerie d’Orléans.

She works for the Center of Research and of Restoration of the Museum of France (C2RmF), where she restored emblematic works such as Saint Anne, the Virgin, and Child Jesus playing with a Lamb by Leonardo da Vinci (Louvre Museum, Paris), the Portrait of Simonetta Vespucci by Piero de Cosimo (Condé Museum, Chantilly), as well as Saint George Slaying the Dragon, a masterpiece by Paolo Uccello (Jacquemart-André museum, Paris).

In her workshop, she develops a specificity around the diagnosis of paintings and is regularly solicited by national and international museums for the realization of preliminary studies.

Professor Emeritus of Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Perugia and member of the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, Dr. Sgamellotti is also an honorary member of the Accademia delle Arti Disegno in Florence. He is a doctor honoris causa of the National Univeristy of San Martín (UNSAM) in Buenos Aires, and a partner of European projects in cultural heritage since 1999. He is co-founder, with Bruno Brunetti, of the mobile laboratory MOLAB and honorary President of the SMAArt (Scientific Methodologies applied to Archaeology and Art) Center of Excellence of Perugia University. Due to its scientific value and its uniqueness, the MOLAB has been recognized by the European Union as a European infrastructure providing transnational access to research in the physical sciences and humanities.

He is author of more than 400 publications on scientific international journals and co-editor of the volumes published by the Royal Society of Chemistry: “Science and Art. The Painted Surface” (2014) and “Science and Art. The Contemporary Painted Surface” (2020).

Antonio Sgamellotti’s research focused on two main themes: theoretical investigations in inorganic chemistry and chemical-physical investigations in the field of cultural heritage.

Restorer, art historian and writer, Antonio Forcellino has been working as a cultural heritage restorer since 1987. He is known for the restoration of some of the greatest masterpieces of Italian Renaissance art: the tomb of Julius II by Michelangelo at San Pietro in Vincoli in Rome, the façade of the Libreria Piccolomini by Pinturicchio, and the Altare Piccolomini by Michelangelo in the Duomo of Siena.

He has written numerous publications, essays and research papers that have been widely distributed in Europe and the United States. His multiple experiences and his involvement in scientific research and university teaching allowed him to develop a solid expertise on the protection’s problems and management of cultural heritage, especially Italian.

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