Raman Microscopy in Art History and Conservation Science
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English Slovak |
| ISSN: | ISSN 1605-8410 |
| Online Access: | http://www.viks.sk/chk/revincon12.doc |
| Abstract: | SUMMARIES. Numerous applications of Raman microscopy in art history and conservation science have appeared in the literature, but unfortunately this work has gone largely unrecognized by practitioners in those fields. This article assesses the causes of this situation and seeks to inform conservators, art historians and archaeologists of the role that Raman microscopy is playing in the analysis of historical materials. A brief description of the Raman scattering phenomenon and the instrumentation used to collect Raman spectra is presented, and the capabilities and limitations of the technique are discussed. Importantly, a comprehensive and critical review is provided of Raman microscopy applications in the technical analysis of art and artefacts. CONCLUSION. A strong argument can be made for the inclusion of modern Raman microscopes among the analytical tools commonly found in the museum laboratory. In order to realize this role, however, many of the historical perceptions of Raman microscopy as a spectroscopic novelty with limited applications and numerous instrumental limitations must be dismissed. Furthermore, future work using Raman microscopy must move beyond the proof-of-concept stage that currently dominates the literature and begin to tackle in-depth art historical projects and pressing scientific problems where its many advantages can be realized. This work must also begin to integrate fully the expertise of the spectroscopist, curator and conservator and result in publications that ultimately reach the intended audience, either by appearing in conservation journals or through a new awareness among the conservation community of the developing location for these articles in applied spectroscopy journals. As the review portion of this article shows, Raman microscopy already has a strong record of applications in conservation research, and recent increasing interest among conservation scientists is likely to lead to greater numbers of museums investing in this powerful technique. |
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| ISSN: | ISSN 1605-8410 |
