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Materials science

The art of restoration

There are various techniques for the restoration of artwork — how effective and safe these are also varies. ‘Reversible’ gels could, however, provide a less risky way to reverse the ravages of time.

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Figure 1: Brighter future? This fourteenth-century icon, held at the National Gallery of Siena, Italy, has become dulled over time.

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Erhardt, D. The art of restoration. Nature 431, 410–411 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/431410b

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