Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

Nanomaterials in art conservation

Nature Nanotechnology volume 10, pages 287–290 (2015)Cite this article

Subjects

Tackling the degradation of cultural heritage requires a global effort. We call on all material scientists to develop new nanomaterials and methods for the preservation of artwork.

The preservation and transfer of cultural identities and heritage to future generations is everyone's responsibility. A review on the social and economic value of cultural heritage published in 2014 by the European Expert Network on Culture concluded that cultural heritage is a strategic resource for a sustainable Europe: if properly managed, it can enhance social inclusion and cohesion, encourage intercultural dialogue, improve the quality of the immediate living environment, and stimulate tourism1. The best way to realize these benefits is to increase access to cultural heritage through digital means and public engagement1. However, access is possible only if the original artefacts are properly conserved, stored and displayed. Therefore, developing new conservation techniques that are readily available, inexpensive and easy to apply is vital to maintaining access.

This is a preview of subscription content

Access options

Buy article

Get time limited or full article access on ReadCube.

$32.00

Buy

All prices are NET prices.

Figure 1: Removal of aged acrylic coatings from the wall paintings of the San Salvador church sacristy in Venice, Italy.
Figure 2: Removal of aged varnish from an eighteenth-century canvas painting.
Figure 3: Maya wall paintings in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization world heritage site of Calakmul, Mexico.

References

  1. Dümcke, C. & Gnedovsky, M. The Social and Economic Value of Cultural Heritage: Literature Review EENC Paper (EENC, July 2013); available via http://go.nature.com/x57jKP

    Google Scholar 

  2. ECCO Code of Ethics http://www.ecco-eu.org/about-e.c.c.o./professional-guidelines.html (ECCO, 2003).

  3. Baglioni, P. & Chelazzi, D. (eds) Nanoscience for the Conservation of Works of Art (RSC Nanoscience & Nanotechnology series 28, The Royal Society of Chemistry, 2013).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  4. Baglioni, P. et al. Adv. Colloid Interface Sci. 205, 361–371 (2014).

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Nevin, A., Pouli, P., Georgiou, S. & Fotakis, C. Nature Mater. 6, 320–322 (2007).

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Horie, C. V. Materials for Conservation (Butterworths, 1987).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Favaro, M. et al. Polym. Degrad. Stab. 91, 3083–3096 (2006).

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Baglioni, M., Berti, D., Teixeira, J., Giorgi, R. & Baglioni, P. Langmuir 28, 15193–15202 (2012).

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Baglioni, M. et al. Soft Matter 10, 6798–6809 (2014).

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Carretti, E., Fratini, E., Berti, E., Dei, L & Baglioni, P. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 48, 8966–8969 (2009).

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Carretti, E. et al. Acc. Chem. Res. 43, 751–760 (2010).

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Wang, J., Sun, F. & Li, X. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 117, 1851–1858 (2010).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Ambrosi, M., Dei, L., Giorgi, R., Neto, C. & Baglioni, P. Langmuir 17, 4251–4255 (2001).

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Wouters, J. Science 322, 1196–1198 (2008).

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Giorgi, R., Chelazzi, D. & Baglioni, P. Langmuir 21, 10743–10748 (2005).

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Rodriguez-Navarro, C., Ruis-Agudo, E., Ortega-Huertas, M. & Hansen, E. Langmuir 21, 10948–10957 (2005).

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  17. López-Arcé, P. et al. Mater. Charact. 61, 168–184 (2010).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Natali, I. et al. Langmuir 30, 660–668 (2014).

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Brus, J. & Kotlik, P. Stud. Conserv. 41, 55–59 (1997).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Kim, E. K., Won, J., Do, J., Kim, S. D. & Kang, Y. S. J. Cult. Herit. 10, 214–221 (2009).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Son, S. et al. Appl. Mater. Interfaces 1, 393–401 (2009).

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Mahltig, B., Swaboda, C., Roessler, A. & Böttcher, H. J. Mater. Chem. 18, 3180–3192 (2008).

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Tingaut, P., Weigenand, O., Mai, C., Militz, H. & Sebe, G. Holzforschung 60, 271–277 (2006).

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Munafò, P., Quagliarini, E., Goffredo, G. B., Bondioli, F. & Licciulli, A. Constr. Build. Mater. 65, 218–231 (2014).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Bellissima, F. et al. Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res. 21, 13278–13286 (2014).

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Carretti, E. et al. Langmuir 23, 6396–6403 (2007).

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Baglioni, P., Carrasco Vargas, R., Cordeiro Baqueiro, M. & Chelazzi, D. in Science and Art: The Painted Surface (eds Sgamellotti, A., Giovanni, B. G. & Miliani, C.) Ch. 4, 68–93 (Royal Society of Chemistry, 2014).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

CSGI and the European Union (NANOFORART project FP7-ENV-NMP-2011/282816; www.nanoforart.eu) are gratefully acknowledged for financial support. L. Dei, D. Berti, E. Fratini and R. GIorgi are gratefully acknowledged for their collaboration and discussions.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Emiliano Carretti and David Chelazzi are in the Department of Chemistry and Center for Colloids and Surface Science, Piero Baglioni, University of Florence, via della Lastruccia, 3 – Sesto Fiorentino, 50019 Florence, Italy,

    Piero Baglioni, Emiliano Carretti & David Chelazzi

Authors
  1. Piero Baglioni
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Emiliano Carretti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. David Chelazzi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Piero Baglioni.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Baglioni, P., Carretti, E. & Chelazzi, D. Nanomaterials in art conservation. Nature Nanotech 10, 287–290 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nnano.2015.38

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nnano.2015.38

Further reading

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Find nanotechnology articles, nanomaterial data and patents all in one place. Visit Nano by Nature Research