La ciencia al servicio del arte: observación de dos obras pictóricas en acuarela de Fausto Pacheco por medio de análisis múltiple

Abstract

La conservación de las obras de arte es un aspecto fundamental de la inmensidad de la cultura humana y la expresión artística. Se analizaron dos obras en acuarela: Paisaje con casa campesina y El puente, pertenecientes a la colección del Banco Central de Costa Rica atribuidas al artista nacional Fausto Pacheco Hernández. Particularmente, el acercamiento exclusivo para estudiar dichas obras de arte está caracterizado por ser un análisis múltiple, donde se aplicaron técnicas no invasivas como la fotografía multiespectral. A partir de dicha técnica y el uso de herramientas computacionales novedosas como RegionsOfInterest y Golden Artists Colors se determinó información sobre la paleta pictórica y el proceso creativo del artista. El análisis múltiple permitió identificar diferentes patrones que podrían estar asociados con el crecimiento microbiano. Este estudio pionero corresponde al punto de partida para establecer indicadores que permitan, en el futuro, valorar la posible autenticidad de las pinturas con base en el establecimiento de la paleta pictórica del artista, los materiales utilizados, los procesos creativos y el contexto histórico. La aplicación de la ciencia para conocer las características de los materiales contribuye significativamente a determinar la manera más eficiente para conservar el patrimonio cultural.

Characterization of three artworks attributed to the Costa Rican painter Fausto Pacheco: analysis of physical components and assessment of chemical and antimicrobial components of pictorial palette

“…Varnish is one of the materials that fluoresces strongly 1,34 , being this a problem to identify fluorescence pigments. Watercolors usually avoid the use of varnish, in order to give them a shiny effect they use a binder, most of the time Arabic gum 29,35 . However, according to the reports of the state of conservation made in 2011 by ConArte 36,37 , in this painting there is no presence of varnish.…”

“…However, according to the reports of the state of conservation made in 2011 by ConArte 36,37 , in this painting there is no presence of varnish. Also with this photograph we could identify dark spots that are related to the growth of microorganisms 29 .…”

“…With UV photograph we identified dark spots as mentioned before mostly in the adobe house. With that information four microorganisms were identified in previous study 29 .…”

“…This irregularity in the quality added to the fact that it was not his custom to date, are aspects that make it difficult to periodize his artwork and, not least, the establishment of criteria for the authentication of his work. The reproducibility of his paintings is relevant because the appreciation that Pacheco's work aroused gave rise to a phenomenon of significant forgery, which to date has not been able to counteract with precise authentication criteria 29 .…”

“…Finally, microorganisms detected previously in the paintings 29 were freely placed in different pigments to find out what kind of damage they could be causing in the artworks and what kind of nutrients attract them. Preventing the growth of various microorganisms in works of art is a challenge for their conservation, and hence, the importance of determining which elements could be affecting historical objects 30 .…”