Restoration of the Renaissance masterpieces has always been a hard work, if not challenge for researchers. Nanotechnology has come up as a solution! The Italian researchers have successfully used nano-particles of calcium and magnesium hydroxide and carbonate for restoring ancient artworks - like Maya paintings in the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico, or the Italian wall paintings and frescoes that dates from the 15th century.

Here are examples of the nanotechnology-based methods at work.

Picture: Two pictures of a Crucifixion by Beato Angelico (15th century, Florence). Left: A pre-restoration image of the wall painting. Right: A post-restoration image. Desulfatation and consolidation was performed with the Ferroni-Dini method.
(Credit for photos: Daniela Dini; credit for caption: CSGI)

Picture: Wall paintings by Santi di Tito in the Cathedral of Florence. Calcium hydroxide stable dispersions were successfully applied, instead of organic glues, as fixatives to re-adhere lifted paint layers.
(Credit: CSGI)

The researchers have also applied their innovative techniques for restoring old paper documents and to treat acidic wood from a 400-year-old shipwreck.

Congratulations to Piero Baglioni and his team! They have developed several methods based on nanotechnology for restoring wall paintings, which include methods for cleaning and removal of resins both from wall and oil paintings. The methods also help consolidating frescoes and de-acidification of papers.

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