Italian scientists have for the first time used particle physics to unravel the secrets of a Renaissance master's painting.
Using a particle accelerator, researchers from Florence's Nuclear Technology for the Cultural Heritage (LABEC) lab trained a beam of low-energy particles across 15th-century great Antonello da Messina's Portrait of an Unknown Sailor.
By examining the resulting X-rays they came up with previously unknown information on the painting technique and paints used.
"To our surprise, we found that the paint wasn't mixed on the palette but applied to the wood and subsequently blended on it," said LABEC chief Pier Andrea Mando'.
"This multiple layering and micro-distribution of pigments perhaps explains why the painting has such a special effect," Mando' said.
Art experts have been asking themselves for years just why the works of Antonello (1430-1479) look so subtly different from those of his contemporaries.
While the technique finds should prove fascinating for art historians, Mando' said, those on the materials employed would be equally valuable for art restorers.
"The analysis helped us discover the pigments used on every bit of the work, with a precision of one hundredth of a millimetre," he said.
"We found traces of mercury, sulphur, aluminium and potassium".
