Chemistry of Art
Patricia Hill
(Millersville University) and
Michael Henchman
(Brandeis University)
Patricia Hill and Michael Henchman have provided workshops in the past
with great success, attracting participants such as science faculty, art faculty,
museum curators, conservators and education faculty, coming from colleges,
high schools, and universities. The broad-ranging workshops provide
participants with a perspective on the role of chemistry in diverse fields,
crossing academic disciplines, but with strong foundations in inorganic,
physical and analytical chemistry. The courses are grounded in laboratory
experience, and include field trips to local museums and conservation science
labs. Millersville University is conveniently situated for trips to facilities in
Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington DC.
| Day 1: | Linking Chemistry and Art in the Curriculum.. Participants explore resources for teaching chemistry using art, including laboratory activities integrating science and art .
Examples of topics covered are: metals (density, activity series, alloys, patinas, electroplating, etching), color, light, and photochemistry (color measurement, cyanotypes and diazo blueprinting, gum bichromate prints,
pinhole cameras and salted paper photography, colorants-synthetic pigments and dyes, and paint binding media) and paper and papermaking.
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| Day 2: | Fakes and Forgeries. This session uses laboratory exercises, including:
Half-life and dating of objects, polarized light microscopy and study of pigments and fibers, identification of pigments, and thin layer chromatography of inks.
The afternoon session concentrates on Glass and Ceramics with a number of activities:
Preparation and coloring of boron glass, etching of glass, glass iridescence, preparation of Egyptian paste ceramic, and studies of glazes.
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| Day 3: | Color, Light and Photochemistry. Discussion includes activities to explore color and light with demonstrations and experiments,
and an introduction to color measurement using pinhole cameras and salted paper photography, cyanotypes and diazo blueprinting, and gum bichromate prints.
A field trip to the conservation laboratory of a local museum is a popular event.
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| Day 4: | Colorants. The study of pigments, dyes, and paint media includes experiments to synthesize dyes &
pigments, dyeing natural and synthetic fibers using natural and synthetic dyes, preparation of paint binding media and four types of paints, examination of dry media
(preparation of crayons, pastels, and India inks) and papermaking (pH of paper, marbling of paper).
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| Day 5: | Restoration and Conservation. The day begins with an extensive discussion of the frescos and restoration efforts underway in the Sistine Chapel.
The role of science in art conservation and restoration is illustrated by preparation of a small fresco, microscopic examination of works of art, and exploration of the "Feast of the Gods" CD-ROM and web site.
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