All Conservation articles
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ResearchXRF reveals early drafts of ancient Egyptian art
Portable analytical equipment allows greater analysis of ancient artwork
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ResearchBeer byproduct used as a binder in paintings during the Danish Golden Age
Scientists identify proteins from cereal species using mass spectrometry
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FeatureThe smell of history
Nina Notman sniffs out chemistry’s role in uncovering, documenting and recreating the scents of the past
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FeatureUnwrapping ancient Egyptian chemistry
From mummification to metallurgy, Rachel Brazil looks at the impressive chemistry used by this ancient civilisation
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ResearchExplaining the mysterious purple gold at Spain's Alhambra
Chemical corrosion converts gold leaf into purple nanospheres
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OpinionHidden details in iconic portrait of Lavoisiers reveal fears of coming revolution
As the French Revolution neared the Lavoisiers were reimagined as scientific progressives rather than out of touch aristocrats
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ResearchInvisible graphene veil protects paintings from fading
Thin layers of graphene could prevent up to 70% of light-induced colour fading
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NewsKew Gardens exhibit will showcase dazzling display of structural colour
Nanostructures that create the ‘brightest colours ever created’ will be on display at gallery
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Research3D-printed ‘digital ivory’ saves antique artworks – and maybe elephants
‘Digory’ will be invaluable for restoration projects, and could help prevent ivory poaching that threatens the survival of wild elephants
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ResearchPompeii’s paintings imperilled by precipitates
Volcanic ash protected the city’s frescos for centuries, now it might hasten their decline
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ResearchLuxury blue paint pigment catalyses its own ‘disease’
Discovery could help preserve Renaissance masterpieces
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ResearchKeep The Scream dry to preserve its pigments, chemical analysis suggests
Moisture – not light – hastens the degradation of yellow cadmium colours in Edvard Munch’s 1910 painting
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ResearchPorous hydrogel cleans dirt and grime from Jackson Pollock masterpieces
Twin-chain polymer gel can safely removes grime from contemporary artworks
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ResearchArt enthusiasts leave chemical traces of gallery visits on artwork
Many of the volatile chemicals given off by visitors rapidly stick to surfaces inside an art gallery find researchers
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NewsConservators turn to iPads to follow the formation of oil paintings’ ‘art acne’
Researchers have developed at app to address a chemistry problem plaguing the art world
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ResearchChemical analysis reveals origin of Pompeian mosaic tiles
Work will help to preserve ancient murals
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NewsArt conservation using saliva wins chemistry Ig Nobel
Prizes given for research that first makes you laugh and then make you think reward some more unlikely discoveries
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ResearchIron-trapping nanoparticles could help preserve the Mary Rose
Removing iron from the 16th century shipwreck’s wooden structures can halt the formation of sulfuric acid
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OpinionPreserving the Naica Cave of Crystals
Visitors are changing the chemistry of a natural wonder of the world
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FeatureThe art of conservation
The Getty Conservation Institute in Los Angeles is developing innovative new approaches to art conservation. Fiona Case paid them a visit