A Free and Fun Chemistry Resource for Use in Multidisciplinary “Chemistry of Archaeology and Art” Courses: The Cultural Heritage Science Open-Source (CHSOS) Database of Analytical Spectra from Historical and Modern Pigments

• Christopher R. Vyhnal ^[1]
  1. [1] The Thacher School, United States
• Localización: Journal of chemical education, ISSN 0021-9584, Vol. 100, Nº 12, 2023, págs. 4653-4662
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • How do cultural heritage scientists and art conservators identify pigments and other painting media in a decorated object or painting, preferably without taking samples that could potentially damage the artwork? A major emphasis in the characterization, authentication, and conservation of works of art and cultural heritage objects is the use of multifaceted, noninvasive analytical methods whenever and wherever possible. In recent years, the development of portable, hand-held, noninvasive spectrometers and the widespread availability of standard spectroscopic databases that allow for the comparison and identification of newly acquired spectra have assisted scientists and conservators in this endeavor. According to their Web site, the Cultural Heritage Science Open-Source (CHSOS) “is a private practice service specialized in on-site examination and documentation of works of art with technical photography and analytical techniques that also provides related training and consulting for private professionals and institutions. CHSOS clients are art collectors, museums, and private professionals, such as conservators, art historians, and art appraisers.” Fortunately, for chemistry educators interested in the spectroscopic characterization and identification of pigments, CHSOS has provided freely available, readily downloadable spectroscopic data for 81 historical and 66 modern pigments using five spectroscopic methods capable of noninvasive analysis (diffuse UV–vis–NIR reflectance, X-ray fluorescence, Raman, near-infrared, and Fourier transform infrared). This article describes the construction and features of three Vernier Software Logger Pro databases that incorporate the CHSOS spectroscopic data from historical pigments and presents four classroom activities that allow students to utilize the databases to develop and apply their knowledge of spectroscopy to identify pigments.