The analysis of polychrome works of art: 40 years of infrared spectroscopic investigations

In this paper a synthetic chronological survey of analytical applications of infrared spectroscopy for the characterization of the materials of polychrome works of art and archaeology is outlined. Various sampling methods are described and some relevant examples, drawn from the published cases, are presented. The various methods prove to be very effective in characterizing both the inorganic and organic constituents of a wide variety of artworks, giving an insight into the materials and techniques of execution of the artifacts and, in the case of infrared mapping techniques, pinpointing the analytical data within a precise layer of the stratigraphy of the cross-sectioned samples. Overall, the great analytical potential and wide field of application of this technique is fully brought to light.