Characterization of defects situated in a fresco by stimulated infrared thermography

¹ GRESPI/ECATHERM, UFR Sciences Exactes et Naturelles, BP 1039, 51687 Reims Cedex 02, France
² Laboratoire de Recherche des Monuments Historiques, 29 avenue du Paris, 77420 Champs sur Marne, France

^a e-mail: jean-luc.bodnar@univ-reims.fr

Received: 6 June 2011
Revised: 13 September 2011
Accepted: 27 September 2011
Published online: 28 November 2011

Abstract

The objective of this work is to approach the possibilities of stimulated infrared thermography in dimensional characterization of defects situated in mural paintings. Towards this end, we have proceeded in two stages. Initially, we have developed, with the help of a point source photothermal analysis, an in situ measurement of the longitudinal thermal diffusivity parameter. Then, we have proceeded to the characterization of the depth of the studied defect, by means of a wide photothermal analysis and of a confrontation between theory and experiment. In this article, we present these two measurement techniques and show that the approach allows a good estimation of the depth of an inclusion of plastazote in a copy of the “Saint Christophe” of the “Campana” collection of the “Louvre Museum”.