Short Wavelength InfraRed in the project “30 March 1814”

The study was carried out in selected areas of particular interest according to the instructions of the conservators of EPMAS (figure 1) and while the work was now displayed in the exhibition space of the Gallery.

Εφαρμογή της ανακλαστογραφίας υπερύθρου με την χρήση της ρομποτική πλατφόρμα, στο έργο του Α. Muller — Figure1. Application of Short Wavelength InfraRed using the robotic platform on the work of A. Muller, after its conservation during its exhibition at the National Gallery – Alexandros Soutsos Museum.

Figure 2 shows the results from a study area with two military men as central characters, one of whom can be seen carrying a drum on his back. On the shoulders of this military man some insignia can be observed which probably reveal his rank. Infrared reflectography study reveals that these insignia are not present in the artist’s sketch of the soldier carrying the drum. This probably indicates that it was not his original intention to paint these insignia which may have been created during the completion of the painting.

Με την ανακλαστογραφία υπερύθρου αποκαλύφθηκε οτι στο προσχέδιο του καλλιτέχνη δεν υπήρχε πρόβλεψη για τα διακριτικά του στρατιωτικού που φέρει στην πλάτη του το τύμπανο. — Figure 2. Infrared reflectography revealed that there was no provision in the artist’s sketch for the insignia of the soldier carrying the drum on his back.

Figure 3 shows a typical embrace scene between a soldier and a girl. Behind these two, a head of a third person is just visible. Infrared reflectography reveals that the outline of this head also extends below the girl’s head, indicating that the painter probably drew this entire head first and then, above it, drew the heads of the two protagonists in the scene. It is not possible to determine whether the outline of the head also extends below the soldier’s head as the white of his handkerchief, which is most likely lead white, is highly reflective even at the highest wavelengths and does not allow light to penetrate this pigment and make the identification of possible pre-cuts underneath it.

Το προσχέδιο κεφαλής που εντοπίζεται μέσω της ανακλαστογραφίας υπερύθρου και το οποίο εκτείνεται και πίσω από το κεφάλι της κοπέλας. — Figure 3. The head projection detected by infrared reflectography, which also extends behind the girl’s head. It is not possible to determine whether this draft also extends behind the soldier’s head as the white dye used to paint the scarf is not penetrated by infrared radiation due to its high reflectivity.