A students analyzes a Chinese vase. Photo courtesy of Dr. Eric Doehne.
Lecture Series:
The Art Detectives:
How to Cheat Time,
Investigate Art,
And Sustain Culture
Each lecture in The Art Detectives series will be held in Steele Hall 101 from 7 to 9 pm. Light refreshments follow the presentations. These lectures, free and open to the public, are funded by the Spencer Program and hosted by the Fine Arts Foundation and the Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery .
March 6 – Art Forensics or How to Tell Real Art from Fakes
Explore the use of forensic science to authenticate works of art. See how science, history, law and ethics intersect in increasingly complex and interesting ways around plunder, fakes and forensics.
March 27 – Artist Materials from Ancient to Modern Times
Discover artists’ materials that are vulnerable. Find out how modern art can be preserved. Examine artists’ materials, including the invention of ancient pigments. Hear why some of Van Gogh’s paintings have changed color.
April 10 – Art Detective Object Lessons
Five stories reveal how scientists help us to understand and sustain our art and culture. (Example: Lessons learned from the Iceman not only revealed secrets of the Bronze Age but also about the preservation of fragile materials.)
Eric Doehne, Ph.D., is a conservation scientist specializing in the intersection of art and science, heritage and legacy. Doehne served as a staff scientist at the Getty Institute, and was international chair of the PATRIMA project in French cultural heritage preservation. He currently teaches at Scripps College, and consults with ConservationSciences.com.