1. Infrared to Helps Art Collectors Find Lost Signatures
Same technology as used to search for Lost Leonardo – A short
video
By Kelly Rose Almeida, Guest Blogger
This IR instrument is used to search for hidden treasures within
art across the globe… From Leonardo Da Vinci to your own
paintings
There are many tragedies in art history; stories of art lost in
wars, burned in protest, or destroyed by dictators. It is rare
that these stories have a happy ending. But this anecdote may
not be over. In recent years, Maurizio Seracini, an Italian expert
in high-technology art analysis, believes that behind one of the
murals painted by the architect and artist Giorgio Vasari, lies
Leonardo's Anghiari fresco. This conclusion was formed
because in the upper part of Vasari's fresco, a Florentine fighter
waves a green flag with the words "Cerca trova" ("He who seeks, finds"). These mysterious
words are suggested to be a clue from Vasari himself. Vasari praised The Battle of Angiari in
his writings, quoting that "it would be impossible to express the inventiveness of
Leonardo's design…” It may be that Vasari was hesitant to paint over Da Vinci’s fresco
without some hint as to where it can be found.
Right: The "Battle of Marciano in Val di Chiana" (1563) by Vasari. Left: A copy by Peter Paul Rueben of Leonardo Da
Vinci’s “ The Battle of Anghiari”, which may be hidden beneath Vasari’s mural that now adorns the Hall of Five Hundred in
Italy.
Every art history class that learns about the beauty of the Renaissance has heard of “The
Lost Leonard.” The story begins like so. In 1504 Leonardo da Vinci was given the
commission by Piero Soderinito to honor the Hall of Five Hundred of the Palazzo Vecchio in
Florence, Italy. His adversary, Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, who had just
finished his masterpiece David, was designated the opposite wall. Michelangelo chose to
depict The Battle of Cascin and had finished a preparatory cartoon but other complications
kept him from attempting his fresco. Leonardo chose to portray The Battle of Anghiari.

2. Leonardo not only finished the planning drawings but also began painting his mural. Sadly,
he never completed this vision. Decades later, the chamber was reconstructed, and it was
believed that this unfinished mural was lost to the ages.
It is almost impossible to see whether or not Leonardo’s famous mural exists
beneath Vasari’s fresco, almost being the operative word. Equipped with an infrared
reflectometer, Maurizio Seracini and his team can use infrared light to penetrate the
thinner layers of paint to reveal whether or not he has discovered the “Lost Leonardo”
without damaging the existing fresco, which could help change the course of Western art.
Although this tale takes place thousands of miles away, this technology is available
to us here in California. Fine Art Conservation Laboratories in Santa Barbara has an IR
reflectometer that can help find similar treasures hidden beneath paintings. The exam can
be done on site or on objects that are brought into the lab. FACL may be the only private lab
that has this instrument on the western seaboard. Using an IR reflectometer, head
conservator Scott Haskins is able to find hidden or fraudulent signatures,
drawings/sketches beneath layers of paint created by the artist, obscured restorations, and
inscriptions underneath linings. These details are essential for art collectors that could
alter the history, authenticity, and value of your paintings.
A short 2 minute video that was just posted on Youtube was also picked up by CNBC who is
planning to feature Mr. Haskins in a episode of treasure hunter collectors who are
searching for hidden details and clues in their artwork. See the video by clicking on this
link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWNshrFvl98 (Be sure to give it a THUMBS UP
and leave a comment!) It features a painting sold by Christies Auction House in 1899 as
attributed to Sir Joshua Reynolds. Here’s the photo below.
An IR reflectometer is a remarkable tool that has many capabilities. Its use is worldwide,
and its impact is astonishing. With this technology, art conservators, art historians, and art
collectors are able to uncover the mysteries and histories of their beloved works of art.
If you have questions about an art item of yours, feel free to call and discuss it with Scott M.
Haskins 805 564 3438 or faclartdoc@gmail.com
For more information about art appraisals contact Richard Holgate at 805 895 5121
Follow Mr. Haskins on Facebook at “Tips for Art Collectors” “Fine Art Conservation” and
“Scott M. Haskins”