Working with the National Gallery of Art, researchers used novel infrared-light-based methods to examine the chemical compounds.

View as a Web Page NIST, Collaborators Uncover New Details on the Formation of 'Metal Soaps' in Oil Paint Hindering the Conservation of Artworks When you think of soaps, you may first picture the liquid foams or solid bars that wash away dirt, grime and bacteria. However, not all soaps are cleansers. In the art conservation world, metal carboxylates, also known as "metal soaps," are undesirable: They form in ongoing chemical reactions that can damage the integrity of the paint and the appearance of paintings over time. Though these compounds have long been found in oil paintings, surprisingly little is known about how they form and then proceed to damage these works of art. Now, researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have collaborated with the National Gallery of Art and other institutions to use novel infrared-light-based methods that identify the composition and distribution of these metal soaps at multiple levels of detail. Their findings may ultimately help art conservators better preserve oil paintings. Read More

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