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Entropy Signature for Crack Networks in Old Paintings: Saturation Prospectus
1Instituto de Alta Investigación IAI, Universidad de Tarapacá, Casilla 7-D, 1000000 Arica, Chile.
Entropy (Basel, Switzerland)
|December 3, 2020
Summary
Cracks in old paintings reveal their disorder. Analysis of Vermeer's "Girl with a Pearl Earring" shows higher entropy, or disorder, on the left side of the face, quantifying artistic degradation.
Area of Science:
- Art conservation science
- Materials science
- Physics of complex systems
Background:
- Aging desiccated films, like old paintings, develop macroscopic cracks due to molecular bond breakage.
- Crack patterns in aged materials can provide quantifiable insights into their structural disorder and entropy.
- Understanding crack formation is crucial for art conservation and material degradation studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the entropy and degree of disorder in aged paint films using crack pattern analysis.
- To investigate the evolution of entropy in desiccated films over time.
- To apply crack pattern analysis to assess the condition of historical paintings.
Main Methods:
- Experimental testing on prepared desiccated film samples.
- Development and application of a two-interacting-variables model to track entropy evolution.
- Quantitative analysis of crack directions and patterns, using Vermeer's "Girl with a Pearl Earring" as a primary case study.
Main Results:
- Crack direction analysis allows for the quantitative evaluation of entropy and disorder in paint networks.
- Calculations using "Girl with a Pearl Earring" indicate higher entropy on the left side of the subject's face compared to the right.
- Extrapolation of findings to other historical paintings suggests that material degradation (entropy saturation) has not yet been reached.
Conclusions:
- Crack network analysis offers a novel method for objectively assessing the degradation and disorder in old paintings.
- The entropy distribution in artworks can vary spatially, providing detailed insights into their aging process.
- Further research can refine this method for broader application in art conservation and material science.
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