Berlin 2018 – scientific programme

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SYAM: Symposium Physics of Ancient Materials

SYAM 1: Physics of Ancient Materials

SYAM 1.4: Invited Talk

Friday, March 16, 2018, 11:15–11:45, H 0105

Painting cracks: a way to reveal physical properties of matter — •Ludovic Pauchard — FAST, Orsay, France

Craquelures in pictorial layers are the most visible aspect of the "life" of a painting. The large variety of morphologies is caused by the different mechanical behaviours of the layers such as support, ground and paint exhibiting specific physicochemical properties. In general, cracking affects the quality of a paint layer: thus, from a strictly aesthetic point of view, craquelures are undesirable. However the presence of craquelures can be of great interest in judging the authenticity of a painting, for conservation and restoration of paintings, and to characterize the stability of a network of craquelures as a function of the surroundings. Moreover, the morphology of craquelures reveal the mechanical behaviours of the pictorial layer that change due to the ageing of the painting and give information about the methods used by the artist or the conditions of conservation. These processes are highlighted using model nanoparticle gels that provide quantitative information about physical properties of pictorial matter.