New Science Peels Through da Vinci's Process
- September 30, 2014 18:57
A French scientist has developed a new analytic technique that reveals the working methods of Leonardo da Vinci.
Pascal Cotte, co-founder of Lumiere Technology in Paris, employed his layer amplification method (LAM) for three years using reflective light technology to examine da Vinci's Lady with an Ermine, painted circa 1489-1490. His method beams a series of intense light on the artwork while a camera measures the reflections.
"The LAM technique gives us the capability to peel the painting like an onion, removing the surface to see what’s happening inside and behind the different layers of paint,” Cotte told BBC News. “We’ve discovered that Leonardo is always changing his mind. This is someone who hesitates – he erases things, he adds things, he changes his mind again and again.”
![Peter Paul Rubens (Flemish, 1577–1640), After Titian (Tiziano Vecelli) (Italian [Venetian], c. 1488–1576), Rape of Europa, 1628–29. Oil on canvas, 71 7/8 x 79 3/8 in.](/images/c/e2/2e/Jan20_Rape_of_Europa100x100_c.jpg "Peter Paul Rubens (Flemish, 1577–1640), After Titian (Tiziano Vecelli) (Italian [Venetian], c. 1488–1576), Rape of Europa, 1628–29. Oil on canvas, 71 7/8 x 79 3/8 in.")
