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DOE OSTI · 4907789

Application of Nuclear Technology to Art Identification Problems: First Annual Report

Keisch, Bernard [Carnegie Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA (United States)]
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Abstract

Throughout the centuries, as man has become increasingly affluent, his interest in antiquities and objects of art, and the price he has been willing to pay for them, has increased. Inevitably, one result has been to attract the unscrupulous to the production and sale of counterfeit paintings, sculptures, and other works of art. The skill of forgers varies but often is highly sophisticated. However, dealers, museum curators, and other experts have also become more skillful in the detection of forgeries. Scientific tools of increasing sensitivity and sophistication have gradually been applied to the examination of the materials of art and archaeology. Such tools frequently support and render more reliable the judgment of the experts. The quality of forgeries may improve further as their makers become acquainted with the new methods of detection and in turn learn to circumvent or confound the methods. Therefore, the development of still more advanced methods of examination has great utility in the art world. This is particularly true if the ultimate effect is to make circumvention of the methods of examination so costly that the economic incentives for producing forgeries may be substantially reduced, if not eliminated.

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37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRYACTIVATION ANALYSISAnalytical & Separations ChemistryANTIMONYantimony/determination of trace amounts of, in white lead paint pigments by neutron activation and γ spectrometryarchaeological specimens/age of paintings, neutron activation determination of carbon-14 and cesium-137 for estimation ofARCHAEOLOGYBARIUMbarium/determination of trace amounts of, in white lead paint pigments by neutron activation and γ spectrometryBRASSbrass/analysis for trace amounts of polonium-210 and radium-226 by α spectroscopyBROMINEbromine/ determination of trace amounts of, in white lead paint pigments by neutron activation and γ spectrometryBRONZEbronze/ analysis for trace amounts of polonium-210 and radium-226 by α spectroscopyCADMIUMcadmium/determination of trace amounts of, in white lead paint pigments by neutron activation and γ spectrometryCARBON 14carbon isotopes C-14/determination in paintings by neutron activation and γ spectrometry, age estimations byCESIUM 137cesium isotopes Cs-137/determination in paintings by neutron activation and γ spectrometry, age estimations byCHROMIUMCOATINGCOBALTcobalt/determination of trace amounts of, in white lead paint pigments by neutron activation and γ spectrometryCOPPERCOPPER ALLOYScopper/determination of trace amounts of, in white lead paint pigments by neutron activation and γ spectrometryDETERMINATIONESTERSGOLDgold/determination of trace amounts of, in white lead paint pigments by neutron activation and γ spectrometryIRONiron/analysis for trace amounts of polonium-210 and radium-226 by α spectroscopyiron/determination of trace amounts of, in white lead paint pigments by neutron activation and γ spectrometryLEADLEAD CARBONATESlead carbonates/analysis of basic, for trace amounts of elements by neutron activation and γ spectrometrylead/ determination of trace amounts of, in white lead paint pigments by neutron activation and γ spectrometryLINSEED OILMANGANESEmanganese/determination of trace amounts of, in white lead paint pigments by neutron activation and γ spectrometryMERCURYmercury/determination of trace amounts of, in white lead paint pigments by neutron activation and γ spectrometryN20140* --Chemistry--Analytical & Separations ChemistryNEUTRON BEAMSOILSPAINTSpaints/analysis of pigments in, for trace amounts of elements by neutron activation and γ spectrometryPIGMENTSPOLONIUM 210polonium isotopes Po-210/ determination in brass, bronze, and iron by α spectroscopyRADIUM 226radium isotopes Ra-226/determination in brass, bronze, and iron by α spectroscopySILVERsilver/determination of trace amounts of, in white lead paint pigments by neutron activation and γ spectrometryTINTIN ALLOYStin/determination of trace amounts of, in white lead paint pigments by neutron activation and γ spectrometryTITANIUMtitanium/determination of trace amounts of, in white lead paint pigments by neutron activation and γ spectrometryTRACE AMOUNTS AGE ESTIMATIONZINCZINC ALLOYSzinc/determination of trace amounts of, in white lead paint pigments by neutron activation and γ spectrometry

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Keisch, Bernard [Carnegie Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA (United States)]. 1969-02-01. Application of Nuclear Technology to Art Identification Problems: First Annual Report. https://doi.org/10.2172/4907789

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37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY subjectACTIVATION ANALYSIS subjectANTIMONY subjectARCHAEOLOGY subjectAnalytical & Separations Chemistry subjectBARIUM subjectBRASS subjectBROMINE subjectBRONZE subjectCADMIUM subjectCARBON 14 subjectCESIUM 137 subjectCHROMIUM subjectCOATING subjectCOBALT subjectCOPPER subject

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