Northumbria hosts art conservation workshop

Representatives from museums and art galleries across the UK will visit Northumbria University, Newcastle today to take part in a spectral imaging workshop for art conservation and cultural heritage studies.

Organised by Dr Charis Theodorakopoulos, Senior Lecturer in Conservation Science within Northumbria’s Department of Arts, the workshop will focus on the use of multispectral cameras in the conservation of works of art.

Multispectral imaging allows paintings to be examined in layers, revealing details hidden under the top layer of paint. This includes marks or drawings such as hidden signatures. It also allows detailed colour matching to be carried out, revealing the chemical characteristics of paint pigments.

During the event a seminar and lecture will be given by Dr Vassilis Papadakis, co-founder of the Portuguese company Xpectraltek, which specialises in multispectral imaging and technology.

The workshop has attracted national interest, with representatives from the British Museum, National Galleries of Scotland, Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums and Bowes Museum all attending, as well as a number of UK universities and major art conservation companies.

Dr Theodorakopoulos said: “Such events bring Northumbria University to the forefront of technological developments for the conservation of cultural heritage.

"Together with significant national and international higher education institutes   and other organisations from the public and private sector, we are shaping the future of education and research for art conservation, leading towards an enhanced maintenance of works of art and cultural heritage objects.”

For more information about the event visit http://icon.org.uk/events/spectral-imaging-workshop