Chemistry in the service of art
National Gallery
Everyone knows that there are many fine and valuable paintings in the National Gallery. Few realise that the Gallery has a team of six chemists and a modern chemistry laboratory.
Teamwork
The scientists work with the curators to help them to study the pictures in the collection. The chemists can identify the pigments and this gives clues to the date of a painting and the painting technique used.
Indigo, for example, was one of the main dark blue pigments until the chance invention of Prussian Blue in the early eighteenth century. So if analysis detects Prussian Blue the work must be later than about 1720.
The scientists also work with the conservators. Their analyses can help to plan the safe restoration and preservation of paintings.
Chemical analysis
The laboratory has a range of modern instruments covering a variety of analytical techniques including light and electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, mass spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatography.
Submitted by: National Gallery chemistry team, 26 November 2003
