Thaindian News

By Ranjan Bhaduri
Florence, Mar 9, (THAINDIAN NEWS) Those who lament over paintings and frescoes in their possession losing color and detail owing to ravages of time need not lose their sleep anymore. Recently, the frescoes in Santa Croce church of Florence were given ultraviolet light treatment which enabled the restorers to rediscover the lost detail and color in these artworks. The frescoes were originally made in the 14thcentury. The frescoes in the chapel include the depictions of various biblical events. The restorers found the ultraviolet technique purely by chance when they were toying with other ideas. After they threw UV light on the frescoes, a lot of image detail became visible.

The frescoes in questions were said to be admired by master artist Michelangelo. The UV Technique is the brainchild of Opificio delle Pietre Dure, which is a famous art restoration facility. It makes use of a non invasive restoration procedure. The frescoes that were exposed to UV light were made by Giotto di Bondone of Italy. The fact that the images were actually three dimensional, became clear after exposing frescoes to the UV light. The research team could detect the hitherto unseen facial expression in those frescoes.

However, the viewers may not be able to see the frescoes in UV Light, as excessive exposure to UV light can actually cause damage to the frescoes. The discovery can do wonders for the restoration of several similar artworks that lie in neglect in several churches and chapels worldwide. These frescoes were referred in E. M. Forster’s novel ‘A room With A View’.