REVIEW PROJECTS FOR CHEMISTRY IN ART

SELECTION TO BE COMPLETED BY NOVEMBER 18, 2010

The Shroud of Turin

Even if you believe is real your job is to present the piece, describe its origins, historical value, its travel in time since its discovery and all the controversy around its authenticity. Be critical and present both sides of the argument. Describe the physical and chemical analyses that have been conducted on it and the attempts to recreate it. There is a wealth of information on the shroud including a NGEO documentary.

Bellini’s Feast of the Gods

This is not a fake but rather a painting that was completed and changed several times by numerous artists. The best way to understand the painting is to see the color version and the x-ray version of it. You will need to present the origin of the painting, who commissioned it, its travel in time before its current location and any controversy regarding its authenticity. Be critical and present both sides of the argument. Describe the physical and chemical analyses that have been conducted on it.

The Sistine Chapel Restoration

In 1980 the Vatican announced the undertaken of the largest restoration ever done to Michelangelo’s work. The Sistine Chapel is a “fresco” and as we learned in class is very difficult to make. There is a lot of controversy on how the restoration was done since removal of the soot in the fresco may have removed “shadows” originally intended to darken the faces… Although not a ‘FAKE” people state that the images after the restoration are not what the artist intended for us to see. Please provide a brief history of its making, its degradation with time, the chemical and physical test used to plan its restoration and the process that was finally used. Make a critical evaluation pro- or anti-restoration based on your point of view.

The Supper at Emmaus

Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675) was one of the most famous Dutch painters of the 17^th century. Although his work was impressive and flawless; he was criticized for the use of the “camera obscura”. His work was often forged but the best fakes were produced by Han Van Meegeren in the early 1900s. The supper at Emmaus is one of the most studied one. Please concentrate your review on those two aspects, describe Vermeer’s work, the use of the “camera obscura” (how to prove or disprove that he used it) and provide a comparison with Meegeren’s work.

Tintoretto’s Nativity

Here is a puzzling one. In its Nativity painting Jacopo Tintoretto shows us a very puzzling arrangement of the main characters. The baby Jesus is on the canter but only Joseph is looking at him. All the other figures seemed to have been “photoshoped” in from other paintings. Since they did not have computers back then is your job to tell us what happened in this case. The answer is easily found if you x-ray the painting (and people had). Please provide a brief history of the artist, the painting itself and do a critical review of how the painting ended looking as it does today.

The Mona Lisa

This one may not have anything to do with forgery but we are still not clear if Leonardo’s version is sitting at the Louvre or not. Tell us what happened and why we may think that it is a fake. There is a lot of evidence and a lot of fiction about its disappearing in 1911. Be critical, consider the “facts”.

Leonardo’s La Bella Principessa.

This could be a case of mistaken identity. It was a 19^th Century German Work before it was a Leonardo Da Vinci masterpiece! Please tell us all you can about it, its history, travel in time, proof of authenticity, and the chemical and physical test conducted on it to sustain the decision. Be critical but present both sides of the argument.

The Getty Kouros

Oops, The Getty Museum paid $7 million for this piece of marble in 1985. This is a case of if its too good to be true it probably is… Please tell us all you can about it, its history, travel in time, proof of authenticity, and the chemical and physical test conducted on it to sustain the decision. Be critical but present both sides of the argument.