Raman micro-spectrometry for pigment analysis of paintings

For the restoration of the pictorial heritage, it is important to detail the materials used. This allows to place the work of art in a particular artistic context such as the nature or the weaving of a canvas, the use of a pigment.

Naked-eye, photographic or microscopic observations allow sometimes to describe the materials constituting the work of art. Raman micro-spectrometry confirms and specifies data obtained by other means of analysis (UV fluorescence, false colors, chemical reagents). Raman analysis is simple to implement and use. The observation obtained is quickly compared with the database previously established. The result then makes it possible to identify and discriminate the constituent materials of the work of art.