Marta Ghirardello

• PhD in Physics
• PostDoc Position at Politecnico di Milano

We introduce a FT-hyperspectral imager that incorporates an ultra-broadband common-path birefringent interferometer and we demonstrate the capabilities of the system in the spectral range from 400 to 2200 nm. The intereferometric system was coupled initially to a first sensor, covering the spectral range 400-1700 nm, and later to a second sensor, a...

We introduce a FT-hyperspectral imager that incorporates an ultra-broadband common-path birefringent interferometer and we demonstrate the capabilities of the system in the spectral range from 400 to 2200 nm. The intereferometric system was coupled initially to a first sensor, covering the spectral range 400-1700 nm, and later to a second sensor, a...

Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) has emerged as an effective tool to obtain spatially resolved spectral information of artworks by combining optical imaging with spectroscopy. This technique has proven its efficacy in providing valuable information both at the large and microscopic scale. Interestingly, the macro scale has yet to be thoroughly investiga...

HIGHLIGHTS • We report solid-state synthesis of cuprorivaite starting from silica nanoparticles. • The synthetized material displays an exceptionally high quantum yield (Φ EM ≈ 30 %). • The synthesized tiny crystals are almost devoid of any copper-rich glassy phase. • We demonstrate how limiting the glassy phase increases the external quantum ef...

A class of hyperspectral imaging systems operating on an extremely wide spectral range has been developed based on a new compact and reliable interferometer. The systems are portable and feature high throughput and low noise.

UV–Vis-induced luminescence techniques are commonly employed by conservators and restorers to examine cultural heritage objects in a non-invasive manner. Many chemical components in artworks show luminescent emission, which can be used for both diagnostic and conservative purposes. The emission spectrum and lifetime are precious indicators of the f...

The deterioration of cadmium yellow paints in artworks by Joan Miró (1893–1983) and in painting materials from his studios in Mallorca (Spain) was investigated. Analysis of samples from Miró’s paintings and from paint tubes and palettes showed that degraded paints are composed of poorly crystalline cadmium sulfide/zinc cadmium sulfide (CdS/Cd1−xZnx...

In this chapter, we will describe several analysis and imaging techniques that are not (yet) compact enough to be transportable to the artwork, but instead require the artwork to travel to the respective instruments. Section 1 describes a microspectrofluorimetry technique that can map both absorption and emission spectra with high spatial and spect...

This paper accounts for the diagnostic campaign aimed at understanding the phenomenon of black stains appeared on the passepartout close to the margins of Folio 843 of Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex Atlanticus. Previous studies excluded microbiological deterioration processes. The study is based on a multi-analytical approach, including non-invasive ima...

The deterioration of cadmium yellow paints in artworks by Joan Miró (1893–1983) and from painting materials from his studios in Mallorca (Spain) was investigated for the first time. Artworks showed discolouration and chalking of paints containing cadmium yellow, altering the colour balance of the works. Analysis of samples from these artworks and f...

Most inorganic pigments, as earths and ochres, have no luminescence emission. Sporadically, the literature has reported the presence of a weak optical emission for some of these pigments. However, this should be attributed to the presence of material impurities within pigments. In addition to this, a small number of inorganic pigments exhibit a cle...

The cultural heritage community is increasingly exploring synchrotron radiation (SR) based techniques for the study of art and archaeological objects. When considering heterogeneous and complex micro-samples, such as those from paintings, the combination of different SR X-ray techniques is often exploited to overcome the intrinsic limitations and s...

The European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) has recently commissioned the new Extremely Brilliant Source (EBS). The gain in brightness as well as the continuous development of beamline instruments boosts the beamline performances, in particular in terms of accelerated data acquisition. This has motivated the development of new access modes a...

Scientific investigation in the cultural heritage field is generally aimed at the characterization of the constituent materials and the conservation status of artworks. Since the 1990s, reflectance spectral imaging proved able to map pigments, reveal hidden details and evaluate the presence of restorations in paintings. Over the past two decades, h...

The wood finish of historical bowed string musical instruments made in Cremona (Italy) during the seventeenth and eighteenth century is a complex multi-layered coating system, where varnishes and other organic binders are variously mixed with inorganic fillers and pigments. It consists of several layers with reduced thickness (tens of microns or le...

We present the application of a novel hyperspectral camera, based on the Fourier-transform approach, to study the photoluminescence emission from artworks at different spatial scales and emission timescales. The hyperspectral system relies on an innovative wide-field, compact and ultra-stable interferometer coupled to different excitation and detec...

Cadmium yellows are a class of inorganic pigments introduced during the middle of the 19th c. and widely employed by modern painters. Recent research has reported the degradation of cadmium yellow paints in important artworks such as The Scream by Edward Munch, raising questions about its triggering factors. To address this issue, we investigated,...

Coatings in historical bowed string instruments made in Cremona (Italy) during 17th and 18th C. are often multi-layered systems, where organic binders are variously mixed with inorganic materials to enhance the sound and the aesthetic features of the objects. These materials were applied in superimposed coats in order to seal the wood porosity and...

Crystalline solids can exhibit photoluminescence when properly excited by sufficiently energetic light radiation. Following excitation, different radiative and non-radiative recombination pathways can occur that are informative of the energetic structure of the material as well as of the presence of crystal defects and impurities. Usually, the char...

Luminescent emission from artworks is usually employed by conservators and restorers as a visual and quick method for assessing the presence of protective varnishes and restoration materials, as well to evaluate the painting conservation status. Besides these mere qualitative observations, the analysis of both spectral and temporal features of the...

Colorants are present in trace concentration in objects made of plastic and their identification is a methodological and analytical challenge. In conservation, the identification of colorants may allow a better understanding of colorant degradation (such as color change and fading) and provide information about the historical development, productio...

In conservation science, the identification of painting materials is fundamental for the study of artists' palettes, for dating and for understanding ongoing degradation phenomena. For these purposes, the study of stratigraphic micro-samples provides unique information on the complex heterogeneity of the pictorial artworks. In this context , we pro...

Paints based on cadmium sulfide (CdS) were popular among artists beginning in the mid-19th century. Some paint formulations are prone to degrade, discoloring and disfiguring paintings where they have been used. Pablo Picasso’s Femme (Époque des “Demoiselles d’Avignon”) (1907) includes two commercial formulations of CdS: one is visibly degraded and...

Recent studies have shown that modern pigments produced after the Second Industrial Revolution are complex systems characterized by a high level of heterogeneities. Therefore, it is fundamental to adopt a multi-analytical approach and highly-sensitive methods to characterize the impurities present within pigments. In this work we propose time-resol...