Title
Application of shearography and the percussion method for the structural inspection of wall paintings: A case study of St. Christopher in Maria Church, Nisse
Author
Gatto, Valentina (Universiteit van Amsterdam)
Anisimov, A. (TU Delft Structural Integrity & Composites) 
Lettinga, W. (TU Delft Structural Integrity & Composites)
Tao, N. (TU Delft Structural Integrity & Composites)
Lantman, Merel (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam; Universiteit van Amsterdam)
Crijns, Bernice (Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands)
Groves, R.M. (TU Delft Structural Integrity & Composites)
Contributor
Liang, Haida (editor)
Groves, Roger (editor)
Date
2021
Abstract
Structural delamination in mural paintings is a complex phenomenon and is considered among the most frequent types of damage. In conservation practice, the most common technique to identify structural detachments is the percussion method. Full-field optical techniques based on interferometry, such as shearography, can provide a more scientifically substantiated evaluation of the condition of heterogeneous structures of wall paintings. The empirical nature of the percussion method was observed during the condition assessment of two medieval wall paintings in Maria Church, Nisse, the Netherlands. It can be argued that, to allow the formulation of specific treatment needs for structural delamination in wall paintings, accurate defect mapping and characterisation is needed. The application of shearography was believed to provide a holistic representation of the condition of the structure of the wall painting depicting St. Christopher in Maria Church. Preliminary comparison of the methods involved revealed a degree of matching between results obtained. Discrepancies, i.e. areas deemed extremely vulnerable during percussion testing that were not detected by shearography, are debatably caused by the misinterpretation of the acoustic response during percussion testing or the inability of shearography to detect in depth structural defects. Further research regarding shearography should focus on providing more information about the depth of structurally delaminated areas within the heterogeneous layered structure of wall paintings.
Subject
Conservation and restoration
Delamination
Detachments
Non-destructive testing
Percussion method
Shearography
Structural inspection
Wall paintings
To reference this document use:
http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:c16dedee-6a6c-4ca3-a240-e7364113352e
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2591911
Publisher
SPIE
ISBN
9781510644021
Source
Optics for Arts, Architecture, and Archaeology VIII
Event
Optics for Arts, Architecture, and Archaeology VIII 2021, 2021-06-21 → 2021-06-25, Virtual, Online, Germany
Series
Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering, 0277-786X, 11784
Part of collection
Institutional Repository
Document type
conference paper
Rights
© 2021 Valentina Gatto, A. Anisimov, W. Lettinga, N. Tao, Merel Lantman, Bernice Crijns, R.M. Groves