Fiber Optics Reflectance Spectroscopy: A Non-Destructive Technique For The Analysis Of Works Of Art

From the results reported, the FORS device can be considered a useful and non-invasive tool for acquiring spectral information from paintings and wall-paintings in order to identify pigments, to analyze color changes, to monitor the status-of-health, and to detect the presence of alteration products. Due to its dimension and weight, the FORS apparatus can be easily transported and used for collecting spectra in situ thus giving us the possibility to follow restoration work even in somewhat uncomfortable and difficult situations. Moreover, since a large number of spectra can be recorded, it offers the possibility of a statistical treatment of the data in order to discriminate among different compounds. The recent advent of Mid-IR optical fibers might profitably extend in the following years the FORS domain to this spectral region (2.5-10μm) which should provide more exhaustive information.