Now, Hans J. Van Miegroet, a Duke University associate professor of the history of art, is complementing traditional research methods by introducing into his classroom a number of new technologies and other innovative approaches to examining aged works. Students have always been excluded from this sort of art history research. The whole point of my class is to bring them in on the experience. Many of the same techniques have been embraced by art dealers and auction houses because they can be used to expose forgeries and to connect paintings to well known artists or otherwise rule out such attribution. The findings can impact a painting's market value considerably, Van Miegroet said.
People have to know what they are paying for.
This method employs chemical solutions to identify the paint materials on a molecular level. Researchers simply shine black lights on paintings to help them view surface textures that are not otherwise visible in plain lighting. This low-tech method often is effective in identifying restoration work on paintings. Researchers rest film on the surface of a painting and photograph the work from underneath using an X-ray source. Mercury and lead, used by the old masters to mix red and white paint respectively, appear on the exposure.