DOI: 10.20350/digitalcsic/15341
title: Dataset for the paper ???Mart??nez-Weinbaum, M.; Lozano-Carb??, M.; Maestro-Guijarro, L.; Carmona-Quiroga, P.M.; Oujja, M.; Castillejo, M., Comparison of the Use of Traditional Solvents and Nanosecond 213 nm Nd:YAG Laser in Thinning Naturally Aged Varnish on a Contemporary Oil Easel Painting. Heritage. 2023, 6(2), 957-967.???

description: The study was undertaken in a contemporary oil easel painting which was temporarily loaned from the Restoration-Conservation Laboratory of the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Barcelona. Different varnish removal procedures were assessed over this painting, and, in order to analyse and compare the efficiency of the methods, several non-invasive and invasive techniques were applied. This dataset consists of images of the artwork (general and detail) and the results of the different cleaning procedures; the varnish removal test conditions performed; Laser-induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) spectra; Laser-induced Fluorescence (LIF) spectra; and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR Spectroscopy). This information allows for assessing the results achieved with each cleaning methodology. Images are presented in JPG format. All spectra are presented in CSV format, on a single page. Descriptions of the selected areas and the experimental conditions in which the spectra were taken and the name of the column values are included at the top of each page. To illustrate the artwork, we took one image of the painting considered in the study (Fig. 1) and a general image under UV light of the picture (Fig. 2). Additionally, we can see the outcomes of varnish removal in the detail photos digital microscopy images (Fig. 3), and in detail UV light photograph of one of the cleaned areas (Fig. 4). For kinetic LIBS, 1 file per each uncleaned and cleaned by different methods area is included. Each file is composed of 41 columns, the first one (x) for wavelength and, the other 40 (y) for intensity. For LIF, 1 file per sample of the analysis of the fluorescence of each un/cleaned area. Each file is composed of 2 columns (wavelength and intensity). For FTIR, 1 file for the characterisation of the varnish, which is composed of 2 columns, the first one indicates the wavenumber (x), and the second one the transmittance (y).
description: [EN] The removal of aged varnish on artistic paintings is a delicate intervention and the use of UV laser for this purpose is of special relevance. In particular, the use of nanosecond-pulsed lasers operating at 213 nm has been noted to produce good results in mock-up samples, but it has not been tested in real artworks. In this paper, we report on the application of this procedure for the first time on a contemporary oil easel painting with naturally aged varnish. The obtained results were compared with those achieved using traditional solvents, specifically a mixture of ligroin:acetone. Additionally, hot water was used to remove surface dirt. The performance of the different cleaning procedures was assessed with a range of techniques, including low-power microscopy, UV lamp illumination, laser-induced fluorescence (LIF), and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). Of the tested treatments, the best performance is obtained by nanosecond laser irradiation at 213 nm using an adequate laser fluence (typically 0.14 J/cm2) that allows controlled and efficient removal of the outermost aged varnish layer without affecting the underlying non-aged varnish and paint layers.
description: There are 4 folders that correspond to each technic employed for the analysis of the cleaning procedures, and 1 for the cleaning conditions description. The folder titled "PHOTOS" contains: Fig. 1 Image of the picture. Selected cleaned areas; Fig. 2 UV light image of the artwork; Fig. 3 Digital microscopy of area 6 (before and after cleaning); Fig. 4 Fluorescence under UV lamp before and after cleaning. The folder titled ???LIBS??? contains: LIBS_withoutcleaning; LIBS_deionizedwater; LIBS_solventmixture; LIBS_213nm,0.10 Jcm2; LIBS_213nm,0.14 Jcm2. The folder for ???LIF??? contains: LIF_withoutcleaning; LIF_deionizedwater; LIF_solventmixture; LIF_213nm,0.10 Jcm2; LIF_213nm,0.14 Jcm2. The folder ???FTIR??? contains: FTIR_varnish. The folder "Cleaning conditions description" contains the file "Cleaning treatments".