Analisi non invasive e digitalizzazione per la fruizione dello “Sposalizio della Vergine” del Guercino

The famous painting “Sposalizio della Vergine” by Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, also known as Guercino, was realized in 1649 for the Mariotti family altar in the San Paterniano church in Fano (Italy). During the XIX century it was stolen but then fortunately recovered, even if in extremely poor conditions. The painting was restored and acquired by Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Fano in 1969. Through the application of non-invasive techniques, it was evaluated its conservation state and a mapping of the pictorial reintegrations was achieved. Multispectral imaging analyses (Infrared Refl ectography, Infrared False Color photography, Ultraviolet Fluorescence, Raking Light) provided also information on the painting technique that is coherent with the Guercino modus operandi already reported in literature. For example, the underdrawing is absent as in other Guercino’s paintings. Moreover, raking light images and macro-photography revealed the characteristics of the original canvas support, no more visible due to the lining intervention carried out in a previous restoration. Lastly, as far as concern the analysis of the materials, XRF (X-ray Fluorescence spectroscopy), FT-IR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy) and FORS (UVVIS- NIR Fiber Optics Refl ectance Spectroscopy) were combined to characterize the artist’s palette. As blue pigment, the precious lapis lazuli was extensively used by the artist, and this suggested a very high price for the execution of the painting. Alongside the non-invasive diagnostic analyses, a 3D digitalization of the altarpiece was exploited to document its whole structure but also fi nest details, providing an effective medium to enable virtual ways to enjoy the painting. Indeed, thanks to a digital facsimile, it is possible to develop solutions able to generate different relationships between the work of art and its observer, letting him know its contents, its techniques, its expressive and aesthetic meaning. The mobile application presented in this paper is specifi cally designed as an intermediary between the “Sposalizio della Vergine” by Guercino and the user, a tool of XIII International Conference - Naples 14 - 15 - 16 December 2022 26