Intelligent Workflow for Real Time and Automated Analysis of Historical Pigments

Irene Ferrara, Paola Benedetta Castellino, Salvatore Gallo, Anna Maria Gueli, Giuseppe Politi, Giuseppe Stella
Abstract:
In archaeological and conservation contexts, rapid and reliable access to information on painting materials is essential. To address this requirement, a completely automated system has been developed, combining data from Raman spectroscopy, spectrophotometry, and colorimetry, acquired on a set of 100 historical pigments from the ©Kremer Pigmente collection. After collecting the spectral data, which included a preliminary study to find the best settings and conditions for each measurement, the analysis workflow involved signal smoothing, baseline correction, identifying key features of each pigment, and data processing through custom Python pipelines. Raman, spectrophotometry, and colorimetric techniques contribute complementary molecular and chromatic information, enabling non-invasive diagnostics of polychrome materials. Automation dramatically reduces processing time compared to traditional manual analysis. This method offers a robust and transferable solution for the spectral documentation and recognition of pigments, providing immediate feedback on the pigment being examined and enhancing responsiveness in conservation and archaeological fieldwork.
Download:
IMEKO-Metroarchaeo-2025-037.pdf
DOI:
10.21014/tc26-2025.037
Event details
IMEKO TC:
TC26
Event name:
TC26 MetroArcheo Conference 2025
Title:

Metrology for Archaeology and Cultural Heritage

Place:
Bergamo, ITALY
Time:
15 October 2025 - 17 October 2025