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Insights on the Side Panels of the Franciscan Triptych by Fra Angelico Using Terahertz Time-Domain Imaging (THz-TDI)

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Abstract

The side panels of the Franciscan Triptych (St. Jerome, St. John the Baptist, and the Archangel Gabriel and St. Francis, St. Onofrio, and the Virgin Annunciate, by Fra Angelico, before 1429) were scanned by means of terahertz time-domain imaging (THz-TDI). THz analysis supplied information on the stratigraphy of the panel paintings and the associated construction, “gessoing” and gilding techniques. Furthermore, THz-TDI provided information regarding the location of restoration materials within the painting stratigraphy on St. Jerome, St. John the Baptist, and the Archangel Gabriel, as well as on the extension and nature of subsurface cracks in the panel painting of St. Francis, St. Onofrio, and the Virgin Annunciate.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the Museum of San Marco, Florence, and the Polo Museale Regionale della Toscana for having allowed the investigation on the painting. Part of this activity was planned within the THz-ARTE Project of the Italian Ministry for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. Corinna L. Koch Dandolo wants to acknowledge with gratitude the financial support of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) for having partially supported this work (grant no P2SKP2_168321/1).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. DTU Fotonik – Department of Photonics Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark

    Corinna L. Koch Dandolo & Peter Uhd Jepsen

  2. Centro de Investigaciones en Óptica A.C., 37150, León, GTO, México

    Corinna L. Koch Dandolo

  3. IFAC-CNR, Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy

    Marcello Picollo & Costanza Cucci

  4. Restoration Laboratories and Office of Le Gallerie degli Uffizi, 50122, Firenze, Italy

    Marina Ginanni & Elena Prandi

  5. Polo Museale Regionale della Toscana, 50122, Firenze, Italy

    Magnolia Scudieri

Authors
  1. Corinna L. Koch Dandolo
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  2. Marcello Picollo
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  3. Costanza Cucci
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  4. Marina Ginanni
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  5. Elena Prandi
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  6. Magnolia Scudieri
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  7. Peter Uhd Jepsen
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Correspondence to Corinna L. Koch Dandolo.

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Koch Dandolo, C.L., Picollo, M., Cucci, C. et al. Insights on the Side Panels of the Franciscan Triptych by Fra Angelico Using Terahertz Time-Domain Imaging (THz-TDI). J Infrared Milli Terahz Waves 38, 413–424 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10762-016-0347-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10762-016-0347-9

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