The National Gallery London, UK

ARCHLAB Available facility: NGL Data & scientific records

The Scientific Department of the National Gallery is a world leader in all aspects of the technical study and care of old master pictures. The Scientific Department laboratory is equipped for paint microanalysis using a variety of techniques of microscopy (optical; UV; SEM with EDX; FTIR-microscopy) and other analytical techniques (XRD; GC-MS; HPLC). The Gallery also carries out X-ray and infrared examination of its collection and these, and other, technical records will be available to researchers through ARCHLAB Transnational Access Programme.

Particular areas of expertise in the material history of easel paintings include: the analysis of the materials of paintings (supports, grounds, paint media, pigments, dyestuffs, layer structure, varnishes, adhesives and consolidants); the history and technology of painting materials; the history and development of European painting technique and the literature of painting practice.  Within conservation science, the strengths are in preventive conservation, monitoring and environmental management of picture galleries (control of light, temperature, relative humidity, dust and chemical pollutants) and their design to preserve easel paintings, as well as the assessment and monitoring of other factors potentially damaging to pictures such as shock and vibration within buildings, and for paintings travelling on loan. 

In addition, studies are undertaken into the deterioration of traditional painting materials (fading, darkening, chemical interactions and so on), the factors responsible, and also on the safety and reliability of conservation procedures for paintings, particularly cleaning.  In the last decade, the Department has developed a leading presence in the field of high-resolution digital imaging of paintings for accurate colour recording, the applications of these images in printing and image-processing and their transmission over fast networks. Other R & D programmes in the imaging of paintings and web-based documentation are also being carried out. In addition to Gallery publications (Collection and Exhibition Catalogues) the results of research in the areas noted above are also published in the international scientific and conservation science literature. The Scientific Department publishes the National Gallery Technical Bulletin (editor: Ashok Roy).
The Scientific Department maintain scientific records of technical and analytical study of paintings in the collection, including work on pigments, layer structure, paint binding media and varnishes. These scientific records on paintings, and other Gallery documents, for example X-radiographs and IRR images, will be available to researchers through ARCHLAB access. The records are mainly not digitised. The Department also holds a large archive of paint samples and cross-sections which form the primary record of physical material from the collection. This archive of samples will also be available for consultation through ARCHLAB Transnational Access Programme.  

Provider’ general information:

NGL

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WELCOME DESK Contact Person:

Name: Marika Spring