Feeling Artsy

After all of our discussions on food chemistry, we moved on to the relationship of chemistry and art. We looked at a few research articles, and "Science and Art Converge at the National Gallery of Art" was very interesting. This paper focused on three areas where chemistry is used in art: authentication, restoration, and internal analysis.

The area of authenticating pieces of art was the most intriguing to me. The article looked at seven small busts of Pope Paul III of Farnese which were supposedly created by Guglielmo della Porta in the 16th century. The busts were thought to be made of bronze, but curators questioned their authenticity. First, there were no records of these busts before 1936 which was very puzzling because record keeping was very accurate during the 16th century. Secondly, small busts were not common during this era.

This skepticism lead researchers to analyze the statues' production with a stereomicroscope. They found small holes and excess metal along the truncation in all seven busts, but these abnormalities were not consistent with other 16th century sculptures. Next, they used x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) to test the statues' metal composition. This method is popular in the art world due to its noninvasive, rapid, multielement readings. After examination, the researchers found the busts were made of brass, not bronze. To further prove this point, the scientists used atomic absorption spectroscopy (AA) which yielded similar results.

With all the data, the researchers concluded the busts were not from the 16th century and not from della Porta. However, the amount of zinc present in the statues were more consistent with 19th or 20th century sculptures. Even though these findings were not life or death results, this article showed how chemistry can be used in novel ways. As technology improves, we can maintain priceless art for generations to come.