SKINNER MUSEUM: Closed
GiveAtomic and Molecular Structure
Chemistry 325
Himali Jayathilake, Senior Laboratory Instructor, and Maria Gomez, Professor of Chemistry
Traversing disciplinary boundaries, this science lab used infrared spectroscopy in the Art Museum to examine hidden layers of paint.
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Photo Credit:
Petegorsky/Gipe
Lab Instructor Himali Jayathilake and Chemistry Professor Maria Gomez embraced the unique possibilities of a teaching museum in their "Atomic and Molecular Structure" lab, bringing chemistry students to examine artwork in a firsthand study. Over the course of several labs, Jayathilake demonstrated to her students how infrared spectroscopy analysis and UV light can be practical tools of discovery. Students learned how to analyze layers of paint invisible to the naked eye, and in one dramatic case, revealed a forged artist signature that had been carefully painted over by art conservators.
View the pdf to see comparisons of the artwork under natural and ultraviolet light.
