Vintage Artwork Fading? Add a Layer of Carbon Atoms for Protection

A graphene layer shields an artwork against light, oxygen and moisture, and can be removed using an eraser. View in browser

Image credits: Festa via Shutterstock Vintage Artwork Fading? Add a Layer of Carbon Atoms for Protection A graphene layer shields an artwork against light, oxygen and moisture, and can be removed using an eraser. Karen Kwon, Contributor July 29, 2021                                                                                                                                                                      (Inside Science) -- Flash photography, meet your match: graphene. "No Flash Photography" signs adorn museums and art galleries across the globe because excessive light can damage or destroy artwork. A team of European scientists has developed a way to use a layer of carbon atoms to protect colors in artworks from fading, and European museums are already showing interest in this new technique. The fading cadmium yellows in Van Gogh's "Flowers in a Blue Vase" and Munch's "The Scream" that are degrading into white are a famous example of how color can disappear from paintings... Read more Copyright 2021 American Institute of Physics. Inside Science syndicates its articles, columns, blogs and videos to news organizations. To initiate syndication, or request permission to republish our content (on a one-time or continuing basis), please contact Inside Science at insidescience@aip.org. News organizations seeking permission to republish Inside Science content must fully credit Inside Science as the original source of the content, include the author byline, and republish the original, unaltered form (excluding content titles, headlines, or sub-headlines). The reprint format can be seen here. Copyright conditions and usage terms are subject to change at any time without consent or any type of prior notice. To unsubscribe from all future mailings from Inside Science please click here. To manage your email subscriptions please click here.

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