On the Use of OCT to Examine the Varnish Layer of Paintings Cleaned with an Er:YAG Laser

Adele DeCruz, Joseph A. Izatt, Derek Nankivil

2016

Abstract

Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) was used to visualize and quantify the varnish layer of paintings. And to verify the success of efforts by conservators to remove the varnish using laser ablation. An Er:YAG laser (λ = 2.94μm) with a repetition rate of 15Hz and an optical power of 1mW was used to remove the varnish. A spectral domain OCT system with a Michelson topology was constructed using a broadband super-luminescent diode (λ = 840±25nm). The OCT system provided an 8μm resolution, and a field of view of 5x5mm. Samples, including pigment, varnish and substrate, approximately 1mm2 in size, were removed from the oil painting, San Giorgio Maggiore by Martin Rico (1833-1908). Varnish thickness obtained from OCT was validated by similar measurements obtained from SEM analysis. Other paintings, including a late 18th century landscape, signed Thomas Gainsborough, were imaged with OCT to compare neighboring regions before and after laser treatment and to examine the layering of the artist’s signature in an effort to determine its authenticity. In conclusion, the non-invasive OCT technique is an efficient tool for measurement of varnish layer thickness, for imaging over-paint under varnish layers, and for assessing the effectiveness of laser assisted varnish removal.

References

  1. Asmus JF, More light for art conservation, IEEE Circuits and Devices, March: p. 6,1986.
  2. Maravelaki PV, Zafiropulos V, Kylikoglou V, Kalaitzaki M, Fotakis C. Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy as a diagnostic technique for the laser cleaning of marble. Spectrochim. Acta B, 52:41, 1997.
  3. Georgiou S, Zafiropulos V, Anglos D, Balas 3. C, Tornari V, Fotakis C. Excimer laser restoration of painted artworks: procedures, mechanisms and effects. Appl. Surf. Sci., 127-129,:738, 1998.
  4. Kalaitzaki P, Zafiropulos V, Fotakis C. Excimer laser cleaning of encrustation on pentelic marble: procedure and evaluation of the effects. Appl. Surf. Sci., 148:92, 1999.
  5. Scholten JH, Teule JM, Zafiropulos V, Heeren RMA. Controlled Laser cleaning of painted artworks using accurate beam manipulation and on-line LIBSdetection, J. Cult. Heritage, 1:S215, 2000.
  6. Klein S, Stratoudalsi T, Marakis Y, Zafiropulos V, Dickmann K. Comparative study of different wavelengths from IR to UV applied to clean sandstone. Appl. Surf. Sci., 157:1, 2000.
  7. De Cruz A, Wolbarsht ML, Hauger SA. Laser removal of contaminants from painted surfaces, J. Cult. Heritage, 1:S173, 2000.
  8. Bracco P, Lanterna G, Matteini M, Nakahara K, Sartiani O, De Cruz A, Wolbarsht ML, Adamkiewicz E, and Colombini MP. Er:YAG laser: an innovative tool for controlled cleaning of old paintings: testing and evaluation. J. Cult. Heritage, 4:202s-208s, 2003.
  9. Pouli P, Paun I-A, Bounos G, Georgiou S, Fotakis C. The potential of UV femtosecond laser ablation for varnish removal in the restoration of painted works of art. Appl. Surf. Sci., 254:6875-6879, 2008.
  10. Liang H, Cid MG, Cucu RG, Dobre GM, Podoleanu AG, Pedro J, Saunders D. En- face optical coherence tomography - a novel application of non-invasive imaging to art conservation. Optics Express, 13;16:6133-6144, 2005.
  11. Gora M, Targowski P, Rycyk A, Marczak J. Varnish ablation control by optical coherence tomography. Laser Chemistry, 2006.
  12. Laser cleaning of works of art: evaluation of the thermal stress induced by Er:YAG laser. Applied Physics B, 2014.
Download


Paper Citation


in Harvard Style

DeCruz A., Izatt J. and Nankivil D. (2016). On the Use of OCT to Examine the Varnish Layer of Paintings Cleaned with an Er:YAG Laser . In Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Photonics, Optics and Laser Technology - Volume 1: PHOTOPTICS, ISBN 978-989-758-174-8, pages 107-112. DOI: 10.5220/0005729801070112


in Bibtex Style

@conference{photoptics16,
author={Adele DeCruz and Joseph A. Izatt and Derek Nankivil},
title={On the Use of OCT to Examine the Varnish Layer of Paintings Cleaned with an Er:YAG Laser},
booktitle={Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Photonics, Optics and Laser Technology - Volume 1: PHOTOPTICS,},
year={2016},
pages={107-112},
publisher={SciTePress},
organization={INSTICC},
doi={10.5220/0005729801070112},
isbn={978-989-758-174-8},
}


in EndNote Style

TY - CONF
JO - Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Photonics, Optics and Laser Technology - Volume 1: PHOTOPTICS,
TI - On the Use of OCT to Examine the Varnish Layer of Paintings Cleaned with an Er:YAG Laser
SN - 978-989-758-174-8
AU - DeCruz A.
AU - Izatt J.
AU - Nankivil D.
PY - 2016
SP - 107
EP - 112
DO - 10.5220/0005729801070112