Understanding the Chemistry of Paint for Art Conservation

When you gaze at a painting in a museum you’re witnessing the artistry of paint on canvas, but what is paint, really? Chemists want to better understand the fundamental interactions between the key ingredients in paint: pigment and binder. In this talk, Lyndi Kiple, master’s student in Chemistry, will explain her research into the molecular nature of paint and how a deeper scientific understanding of the interactions between pigment and binder might help museums preserve their collections. Lyndi’s research uses a similar technology to MRI to safely probe the molecular environments in priceless paintings. Applying non-invasive techniques, this research aims to uncover new knowledge of how paint behaves at the molecular level to improve methods of art conservation.

The Emerging Scholars Series is a partnership between the Arts & Sciences Graduate Center at William & Mary and the Williamsburg Regional Library. The series features W&M graduate students in talks hosted by the WRL intended to bring cutting-edge research to the local community.