My first week as students at the University of Siena was a whirlwind of activity. After settling down and beginning our classes on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, our group attended a presentation and poster session to see the important research being done by our Italian counterparts. The topics were variable and impressive with titles such as “Effects of Exogenous Ethanol on Fermentative Metabolism of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Investigated by In-Vivo 13C-NMR and Mathematical Modeling” and “Olive Oil as Seen by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy.” One particular poster, however, sticks out in my memory far better than the rest: “Mineralogical-Petrographic Methods for Archaeometry and Cultural Heritage Conservation.” This project, under the guidance of geologist Dr. Sonia Mugnaini, seeks to apply common mineral identification methods used routinely in geology to the field and practice of art conservation.
After speaking with Dr. Mugnaini for several minutes, I learned that polarized light microscopy and X-ray diffraction can be used to identify the pigments and minerals contained in a cross-sectioned sample of artwork. With this information, conservators are able to identify past restoration efforts and to remove them safely. A famous example of this technique was applied to Michelangelo’s David in the recent past. X-ray diffraction allowed the team to identify a darkened repair on one of his massive fingers as the work of a restorer named Ricci in 1813. From there, the conservators could decide whether or not to remove the imperfection as it was not original to Michelangelo or his workshop.
I think that this project is an excellent example of the potential that exists to apply chemical analysis to seemingly unrelated fields. Dr. Mugnaini’s willingness to think outside the normal realm of her appointment as geologist has allowed her to truly impact the care of art around the world and in her native Italy, the country with the richest art stores in the world. I look forward to attending her lab’s workshop in a few weeks and experiencing the analysis in a tangible way.
I found Courtney's conversation with Dr. Mugnaini to be very interesting. I work with x-rays all of the time in a medical office, so that is the function I am most used to. The fact that they can use x-ray technology to locate repairs in ancient stonework is amazing. I concur with her views of this kind of work acting as a new path for chemical analysis, one of many doors of opportunity to be opened in the future of chemistry and real world applications.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I did not a get a chance to learn in depth about Dr.Mugnaini's research, but Courtney's statement filled the gap for me. As a premed student, I consistently separate my views of art from science. But Dr. Mugnaini's work shows the importance and originality of combining different disciplines to further our understanding of the world. I just hope our generation and future generations will continue to combine different subjects, such as religion and science.
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