Abstract
The conservation of the works of art represent a topic of global interest. The development of effective tools based on advanced technology for analysing and monitoring their health-state is essential to assuring their preservation. In fact, detecting and preventing the formation of defective areas or assessing for an accurate pre-restoration analysis are the main objectives of non-destructive inspection. Active thermography is a well-known non-invasive imaging technique and reliable tool for providing a fast and low-cost analysis of a work of art. In this study we combine the potential of Principal Component Thermography and of Absolute Thermal Contrast to analyse thermal images acquired in-situ on a poplar panel painting representing an original artwork dating in the end of XVI century. We first optimized the thermal stimulation parameters in the laboratory using special phantom samples. These samples were specially made by reproducing in high fidelity the structural properties and materials of the artwork in order to perform effectively the preliminary tests. Then we moved the equipment in-situ by performing the non-destructive inspection directly on the real artwork. We have developed a specific experimental protocol that combines active thermography with two specific and appropriate image processing modalities that allowed us the effective detection of various types of defects in the painting layer. We report a complete analysis and deep discussion concerning the detection and characterization of the defects. Results show that our diagnostic protocol is a powerful tool in assessing the pre-restoration health-state and suitable for in situ analysis of wood artworks.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Doleżyńska-Sewerniak, E., Jendrzejewski, R., Klisińska-Kopacz, A., Sawczak, M.: Non-invasive spectroscopic methods for the identification of drawing materials used in XVIII century. J. Cult. Herit. 41, 34–42 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.culher.2019.07.008
Borg, B., Dunn, M., Ang, A., Villis, C.: The application of state-of-the-art technologies to support artwork conservation: literature review. J. Cult. Herit. (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.culher.2020.02.010
Zhang, H., Sfarra, S., Saluja, K., Peeters, J., Fleuret, J., Duan, Y., Fernandes, H., Avdelidis, N., Ibarra-Castanedo, C., Maldague, X.: Non-destructive investigation of paintings on canvas by continuous wave Terahertz imaging and flash thermography. J. Nondestruct. Eval. (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10921-017-0414-8
Garofano, I., Perez-Rodriguez, J.L., Robador, M.D., Duran, A.: An innovative combination of non-invasive UV–Visible-FORS, XRD and XRF techniques to study Roman wall paintings from Seville, Spain. J. Cult. Herit. 22, 1028–1039 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.culher.2016.07.002
Kilic, G.: Using advanced NDT for historic buildings: Towards an integrated multidisciplinary health assessment strategy. J. Cult. Herit. 16, 526–535 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.culher.2014.09.010
Sfarra, S., Ibarra-Castanedo, C., Ridolfi, S., Cerichelli, G., Ambrosini, D., Paoletti, D., Maldague, X.: Holographic Interferometry (HI), Infrared Vision and X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy for the assessment of painted wooden statues: a new integrated approach. Appl. Phys. A Mater. Sci. Process. 115, 1041–1056 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-013-7939-1
Rebollo, E., Nodari, L., Russo, U., Bertoncello, R., Scardellato, C., Romano, F., Ratti, F., Poletto, L.: Non-invasive multitechnique methodology applied to the study of two 14th century canvases by Lorenzo Veneziano. J. Cult. Herit. 14, e153–e160 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.culher.2012.10.020
Capineri, L., Falorni, P., Ivashov, S., Zhuravlev, A., Vasiliev, I., Razevig, V., Bechtel, T., Stankiewicz, G.: Combined holographic subsurface radar and infrared thermography for diagnosis of the conditions of historical structures and artworks. Near Surf. Geophys. 8, 355–364 (2010). https://doi.org/10.3997/1873-0604.2010005
Zhu, Y.K., Tian, G.Y., Lu, R.S., Zhang, H.: A review of optical NDT technologies. Sensors 11, 7773–7798 (2011). https://doi.org/10.3390/s110807773
Sfarra, S., Ibarra-Castanedo, C., Ambrosini, D., Paoletti, D., Bendada, A., Maldague, X.: Integrated approach between pulsed thermography, near-infrared reflectography and sandwich holography for wooden panel paintings advanced monitoring. Russ. J. Nondestruct. Test. 47, 284–293 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1061830911040097
O’Riordan, C.: Art conservation: the cost of saving great works of art. Emory Int. Law Rev. 32, 409 (2018). https://doi.org/10.3366/ajicl.2011.0005
Marijnissen, R.: Degradation, conservation, and restoration of works of art: historical overview. CeROArt (2015). https://doi.org/10.4000/ceroart.4785
Nodari, L., Tresin, L., Benedetti, A., Tufano, M.K., Tomasin, P.: Conservation of contemporary art: alteration phenomena in a XXI century artwork. From contactless in situ investigations to laboratory accelerated ageing tests. J. Cult. Herit. 35, 288–296 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.culher.2018.12.006
Fabbri, B.: Science and Conservation for Museum Collections. Nardini, Messina (2012)
Beardsley, B.H., Dardes, K., Rothe, A.: The structural conservation of panel paintings. In: Proceedings of a Symposium at the Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles (1998). http://hdl.handle.net/10020/gci_pubs/panelpaintings
Cennamo, P., Barone Lumaga, M., Ciniglia, C., Soppelsa, O., Moretti, A.: Heterotrophic components of biofilms on wood artefacts. J. Wood Sci. 64, 417–426 (2018)
Planinsic, G.: Infrared thermal imaging: fundamentals, research and applications. Eur. J. Phys. 32, 1431 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1088/0143-0807/32/5/B01
Meola, C., Boccardi, S., Maria Carlomagno, G.: Infrared thermography basics. Infrared Thermogr. Eval. Aerosp. Compos. Mater. (2017). https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-1-78242-171-9.00003-6
Maldague, X.P.V.: Introduction to NDT by active infrared thermography. Mater. Eval. 60, 1060–1073 (2002)
Maldague, X., Marinetti, S.: Pulse phase infrared thermography. J. Appl. Phys. 79, 2694–2698 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1063/1.362662
Vavilov, V.P., Burleigh, D.D.: Review of pulsed thermal NDT: Physical principles, theory and data processing. NDTE Int. 73, 28–52 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ndteint.2015.03.003
Usamentiaga, R., Venegas, P., Guerediaga, J., Vega, L., Molleda, J., Bulnes, F.G.: Infrared thermography for temperature measurement and non-destructive testing. Sensors (Switzerland) 14, 12305–12348 (2014). https://doi.org/10.3390/s140712305
Ibarra-Castanedo, C., Maldague, X.: Pulsed phase thermography reviewed. Quant. Infrared Thermogr. J. 1, 47–70 (2004). https://doi.org/10.3166/qirt.1.47-70
Sfarra, S., Perilli, S., Paoletti, D., Ambrosini, D.: Ceramics and defects: Infrared thermography and numerical simulations—a wide-ranging view for quantitative analysis. J. Therm. Anal. Calorim. 123, 43–62 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-015-4974-5
Vavilov, V., Kauppinen, T., Grinzato, E.: Thermal characterization of defects in building envelopes using long square pulse and slow thermal wave techniques. Res. Nondestruct. Eval. 9, 181–200 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1080/09349849709414473
Sfarra, S. Bendada, A., Paoletti, A., Paoletti, D., Ambrosini, D., Ibarra-castanedo, C. Maldague, X.: Square pulse thermography (SPT) and digital speckle photography (DSP): non-destructive testing (NDT) techniques applied to the defects detection in aerospace materials. In: Proceedings of the 2nd Int. Symp. NDT Aerosp., pp. 1–8 (2010)
Orazi, N.: The study of artistic bronzes by infrared thermography: a review. J. Cult. Herit. 42, 280–289 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.culher.2019.08.005
Peeters, J., Van der Snickt, G., Sfarra, S., Legrand, S., Ibarra-Castanedo, C., Janssens, K., Steenackers, G.: IR reflectography and active thermography on artworks: the added value of the 1.5–3 μm band. Appl. Sci. (2018). https://doi.org/10.3390/app8010050
Laureti, S., Malekmohammadi, H., Rizwan, M.K., Burrascano, P., Sfarra, S., Mostacci, M., Ricci, M.: Looking through paintings by combining hyper-spectral imaging and pulse-compression thermography. Sensors (Switzerland) 19, 1–24 (2019). https://doi.org/10.3390/s19194335
Mercuri, F., Cicero, C., Orazi, N., Paoloni, S., Marinelli, M., Zammit, U.: Infrared thermography applied to the study of cultural heritage. Int. J. Thermophys. 36, 1189–1194 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10765-014-1645-x
Gavrilov, D., Maev, R.G., Almond, D.P.: A review of imaging methods in analysis of works of art: thermographic imaging method in art analysis. Can. J. Phys. 92, 341–364 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1139/cjp-2013-0128
Maev, R.G., Gavrilov, D.: Thermography in analysis of works of art: choice of the optimal approach. In: Proceedings of the 13th Int. Symp. Nondestruct. Charact. Mater., pp. 20–24 (2013). www.ndt.net/?id=15545
Theodorakeas, P., Ibarra-Castanedo, C., Sfarra, S., Avdelidis, N.P., Koui, M., Maldague, X., Paoletti, D., Ambrosini, D.: NDT inspection of plastered mosaics by means of transient thermography and holographic interferometry. NDTE Int. 47, 150–156 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ndteint.2012.01.004
Ambrosini, D., Daffara, C., Di Biase, R., Paoletti, D., Pezzati, L., Bellucci, R., Bettini, F.: Integrated reflectography and thermography for wooden paintings diagnostics. J. Cult. Herit. 11, 196–204 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.culher.2009.05.001
Ibarra-castanedo, C., Sfarra, S., Ambrosini, D., Paoletti, D., Bendada, A., Maldague, X., Pontieri, P.E., Aq, R.P.: Infrared vision for the nondestructive assessment of panel paintings. CINDE J. 31, 5–9 (2010)
Arndt, R.W.: Square pulse thermography in frequency domain as adaptation of pulsed phase thermography for qualitative and quantitative applications in cultural heritage and civil engineering. Infrared Phys. Technol. 53, 246–253 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infrared.2010.03.002
Bruzzone, R., Galassi, M.C.: Wood species in Italian panel paintings of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries: historical investigation and microscopical wood identification. In: Archetype Publications-The National Gallery (ed.) Studying Old Master paintings. Technology and Practice, pp. 253–259. M. Spring, London (2011)
Fioravanti, M.: Le specie legnose dei supporti: implicazioni per la conoscenza, la conservazione ed il restauro dei dipinti su tavola. In: Uzielli, L., Casazza, O. (eds.) Conservazione dei dipinti su tavola, pp. 83–107. Firenze, Nardini (1998)
Schweingruber, F.H.: Anatomie europäischer Hölzer. Ein Atlas zur Bestimmung europäischer Baum‐, Strauch‐ und Zwergstrauchhölzer. 800 S., 3473 SW‐Fotos. Verlag Paul Haupt, Bern und Stuttgart (1990)
Rajic, N.: Principal component thermography for flaw contrast enhancement and flaw depth characterisation in composite structures. Compos. Struct. 58, 521–528 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1016/S0263-8223(02)00161-7
Swita, R., Suszynski, Z.: Processing of thermographic sequence using Principal Component Analysis. Meas. Autom. Monit. 61, 215–218 (2015)
Sels, S., Bogaerts, B., Verspeek, S., Ribbens, B., Steenackers, G., Penne, R., Vanlanduit, S.: 3D Defect detection using weighted principal component thermography. Opt. Lasers Eng. (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.optlaseng.2020.106039
Winfree, W.P., Cramer, K.E., Zalameda, J.N., Howell, P.A., Burke, E.R.: Principal component analysis of thermographic data. Thermosense Therm. Infrared Appl. XXXVII 9485, 94850S (2015). https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2176285
Marinetti, S., Grinzato, E., Bison, P.G., Bozzi, E., Chimenti, M., Pieri, G., Salvetti, O.: Statistical analysis of IR thermographic sequences by PCA. Infrared Phys. Technol. 46, 85–91 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infrared.2004.03.012
Rajic, N.: Principal component thermography, DSTO Technical Report TR-345 (2002)
Saunders, D.: Photographic flash: threat or nuisance? Natl Gallery Tech. Bull. 16, 66 (1995)
UNI 10829:1999—Assets of historical and artisticinterest—Environmental conditions for Conservation—Measurement and analysis
Funding
This research was funded in the frame of the Project "POR CAMPANIA FESR 2014/2020 - REMIAM ex OPS- REte dei Musei Intelligenti and Avanzata Multimedialità".
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Supplementary Information
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rippa, M., Pagliarulo, V., Lanzillo, A. et al. Active Thermography for Non-invasive Inspection of an Artwork on Poplar Panel: Novel Approach Using Principal Component Thermography and Absolute Thermal Contrast. J Nondestruct Eval 40, 21 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10921-021-00755-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10921-021-00755-z