Synchrotron goes all arty

With vast particle accelerators and finely tuned magnetic and electric fields, synchrotrons are normally associated with scientific endeavour – but now the art world has turned to synchrotron light to reveal new aspects of Gothic art.

Copyright © EPSIM 3D/JF Santarelli, Synchrotron Soleil

The National Art Museum of Catalonia and the Analysis of Cultural Heritage Materials group from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, Spain are working together to study materials of artistic and cultural interest. They are currently concentrating on 15th century paintings which represent the movement from the Gothic period to the Renaissance. This period is historically critical and the team hope to find evidence of connections with art from other regions of Europe.

The group are studying the pigments, agglutinating agents and primers and their associated reaction and aging processes. Structural analysis can accurately identify specific compounds in the paint by using the synchrotron source in parallel with x-ray diffraction and electron microscopy.

In 2010, Spain will have its first synchrotron source, the ALBA synchrotron, which is currently being built in Cerdanyola de Vallès.

Researcher Trinitat Pradell said: “Synchrotron light is very useful for studying coats of paint in depth, as greater quality and intensity is achieved that ever before. The techniques and aesthetic features of works of art can be examined on a molecular level, which are unimaginable using conventional techniques.”

By Leila Sattary