Spectroscopic Investigations of a Vandalized Contemporary Acrylic Painting on Canvas Using Model Paintings and Chemometrics

Year: 2025

Authors: Striova J., Innocenti S., Ingrassia A., Bertasa M., Salvadori B.

Autors Affiliation: CNR, Natl Inst Opt, Largo Enrico Fermi 6, I-50125 Florence, Italy; Univ Roma La Sapienza, Dept Ancient Sci, P Aldo Moro 5, I-00186 Rome, Italy; Opificio Pietre Dure, Settore Restauro Dipinti Tela & Tavola, Vle Filippo Strozzi 1, I-50129 Florence, Italy; Conservat Collect Care & Collect Management Dept, East Molesey KT8 9AU, Surrey, England; CNR, Inst Heritage Sci, Via Madonna del Piano 10, Sesto Fiorentino, FI, Italy.

Abstract: The characterization and conservation of materials constituting contemporary art pose a significant challenge for scientists and restorers due to the wide variability, heterogeneity in their compositions, and their chemical instability. This study aims to contribute to the understanding of the composition and ageing of materials in contemporary artworks, specifically, the analytical painting and the materials involved in a vandalic act. To this purpose, an acrylic painting on raw canvas is examined, Tela by Giorgio Griffa (1973), along with model samples purposely prepared together with the painter. Felt-tip marker vandalic act, by which the painting was disfigured, is analyzed as well. The analytical approach entails a combination of noninvasive spectroscopic techniques to study the molecular composition and changes induced by artificial ageing in model samples. The results are correlated with those obtained on the painting to support the development of a suitable conservation treatment to remove the effects of vandalic act.

Journal/Review: CHEMPLUSCHEM

Volume: 90 (8)      Pages from:   to:

More Information: S.I. acknowledges PNRR H2IOSC (Humanities and Cultural Heritage Italian Open Science Cloud) Project (IR0000029), CUP_B63C2200073005, funded by Next Generation EU. The contents reflect only the authors’ view, and the European Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains. The authors acknowledge the collaboration with the painter Giorgio Griffa as well as the supervision by Dr. Sandra Rossi, Dr. Renata Pintus, Dr. Cecilia Frosinini, Prof. Mattia Patti, and Dr. Monica Galeotti. The authors acknowledge the Museo della Citta – Polo Culturale Bottini dell’Olio – Comune di Livorno for the collaboration.
KeyWords: acrylic model samples; ageing; contemporary artwork; felt-tip marker pen; vandalism
DOI: 10.1002/cplu.202500129