Advances in Non-invasive Multi-analytical Approaches for the Study of Painted Artworks

Dear Colleagues,

Research in the field of cultural heritage diagnostics has long focused on developing techniques that preserve the material integrity of works of art. These techniques should not involve the removal of material fragments (microsampling) or the deterioration of the object being measured (e.g., through the use of high-intensity radiation), and are therefore defined as non-invasive. Numerous studies have shown that a multi-analytical approach, based on the combined application of non-invasive techniques, is particularly useful in providing comprehensive information about compositional materials from chemical and physical/structural perspectives. By integrating data obtained from complementary techniques, it is possible to generate a 360-degree characterization of the work, from its inside (at the atomic, molecular, and nanometer scale) to its outside (at the micro- and macro-metric scale).

The identification of execution techniques and degradation phenomena is crucial for artwork conservation and documentation. Non-invasive multi-analytical approaches can provide valuable information to guide conservation and preventive interventions, as well as to define and monitor restoration operations and characterize damage phenomena.

The goal of this Special Issue is to collect papers (original research articles and review papers) to give insights about the most recent non-invasive diagnostic applications on works of art, with a special focus on paintings.

This Special Issue will welcome manuscripts that link the following themes:

• Integration of point-wise elemental and molecular spectroscopic data with multi- and hyper-spectral imaging data for the identification and mapping of chemical components.
• Stratigraphic analysis using non-invasive cross-sectional methods.
• Surveying and monitoring of surface morphological changes and virtual reconstruction of missing parts using 3D models.

We look forward to receiving your original research articles and reviews.

Dr. Raffaella Fontana
Dr. Alice Dal Fovo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Heritage is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• non-invasive multi-analytical approaches
• preventive interventions
• atomic, molecular, and nanometer scale
• micro- and macro-metric scale
• cultural heritage
• artwork conservation
• materials of works of art