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Picasso: The Artist's Studio 		(spacer)
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Picasso: The Artist's Studio

Understanding Picasso Through Conservation (UPTC)

Methods of Scientific Examination


Ultraviolet Light

Examination of paintings by Ultraviolet light, or UV, is useful for revealing changes in a painting's surface. Ultraviolet light belongs to a higher level of the electromagnetic spectrum than visible light, so normally its presence remains undetected by the naked eye. However, many sources of visible light, including the sun and common fluorescent light bulbs, also emit UV waves. UV waves can be produced artificially by "black lights" and low pressure, mercury-vapor lamps. Examination of paintings with UV light is a useful tool because disparate materials absorb and emit (or "fluoresce") these electromagnetic waves differently, depending upon the chemical composition of the material. Ultraviolet "black lights" are especially useful for detecting later restoration or "in-painting" applied by conservators because these areas typically fluoresce differently than the original paint surfaces. Ultraviolet light can also help identify certain varnishes and pigments. For instance, shellac exhibits a distinctive orange fluorescence, while madder, an organic red pigment, fluoresces bright red.
Pablo Picasso’s La Vie under ultraviolet light
Pablo Picasso’s La Vie under ultraviolet light
<I>La Vie (Life)</I>, 1903<BR>Oil on canvas <BR>The Cleveland Museum of Art. Gift of the Hanna Fund 1945.24 <BR>[Cat. no. 5] <BR>©2001 Estate of Pablo Picasso/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
La Vie (Life), 1903
Oil on canvas
The Cleveland Museum of Art. Gift of the Hanna Fund 1945.24
[Cat. no. 5]
©2001 Estate of Pablo Picasso/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

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