Scientist who helped unlock some of Mona Lisa’s secrets to speak at the Frost April 22

The link between chemistry and art is nothing new. Since antiquity, new techniques have been developed to prepare pigments used in art, cosmetics and even health. During the Renaissance, artists prepared translucent glazes from complicated recipes to achieve optical effects, while ancient Egyptians looked to cosmetics for protection from diseases.

The Mona Lisa painting was one of seven examined with a non-invasive technique known as X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy.

Philippe Walter, director of the Laboratory Centre for Research and Restoration of the Museums of France (C2RMF) located at the Louvre in Paris, led a team of scientists who analyzed Leonardo da Vinci’s paintings in an effort to shed light on da Vinci’s use of multiple ultra-thin layers of paint and glaze. His mastery of this technique, known as sfumato, gives his works their dreamy quality.

Walter will discuss the techniques used and present-day methods used to discover them at a lecture Friday, April 22, at 3 p.m., at The Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum.

C2RMF is the national research center in France responsible for the documentation, conservation and restoration of the items held in the collections of more than 1,200 museums across France. His research is aimed at developing new analytical methods adapted to the study of ancient materials.

In addition to spearheading the project with da Vinci’s art, Walters headed a team from the Louvre that discovered the medicinal purposes of eyeliner used by ancient Egyptians more than 4,000 years ago.

— Jessica Delgado