Radiographs applied to paintings and other works of art represent a valuable tool in the research and authentication of historical pieces with the aim of preserving heritage and cultural patrimony. By revealing hidden details and internal structures, these techniques provide information about the technique of the author, the canvas, the authenticity, or even help to design restoration strategies.
Novadep offers digital alternatives to conventional film radiography that improve radiographic quality, inspection time, and personal safety. We have developed a series of equipment dedicated to digital radiography for large works of art (XoroYa and PycaXo). They work with automatic and software-controlled inspections, obtaining a radiographic composition of an 800 x 1200 mm frame at 50 µm resolution in less than 10 minutes.
The step from 2D to 3D inspection exponentially increases the information obtained in studies of works of art. Computed Tomography allows a complete 3D scanning of sculptures and all types of heritage pieces. Thanks to innovative inspection techniques and specific reconstruction algorithms, it is possible to tomograph large sculptures (up to 2000 mm and 500 kg).
At Novadep we have developed a tomography system (CT-ursus) for large pieces with a resolution of up to 10-15 µm. CT-ursus allows us to obtain the interior view as well as the 3D reconstruction of the work in detail in a non-destructive technique.
