Many museums have conservation laboratories with modern scientific equipment. The conservation laboratory shares a common interest with the forensic laboratory in trying to learn as much as possible by examining small, sometimes minuscule samples removed from their context. Growing public interest in the interrelation of science and art has promoted closer looks at cultural artifacts and fine and decorative arts. A wooden sculpture like a santo ages and eventually deteriorates. A closer look at the materials and techniques used to make a santo is indispensable in order to define the best conditions for keeping and displaying it and developing viable treatment to preserve it, if needed.
Destructive methods require taking small samples from unobtrusive areas.
The samples collected can be used to identify pigments, binders, wood types, metals, and other materials. For santos , studies often focus on paint layers to see how many times an original has been repainted, as scholars, conservators, santeros , and the Church debate whether to remove newer paint. Analytical technology can contribute to this decision making. Conservators and other scholars look closely at paint layers to understand the history and condition of a santo . The many layers in the paint cross section below indicates that the santo from which it was taken had been repainted frequently.