Effects of lighting: Problems and modelling

The lighting of works of art is one of the problems concerning their conservation. Light is accompanied by heat and superficial heating is a cause of deterioration. Possibly more harmful, however, than steady temperature is intermittent heating and cooling. In this brief note on the effects of lighting the author lists the problems that heating-cooling cycles may cause and suggests that modelling (as opposed to heat measurements, which would reguires boring of holes for thermocouples) is the best choice for understanding the thermal behavior of an object exposed to heating-cooling cycles. For either open-air or museum displays, modelling can yield useful information to ensure correct microclimatic conditions for cultural heritage conservation.