At its simplest, paint pouring is the mixing of paints with lower density and viscosity liquids and then pouring them onto a surface for an aesthetic artifact. Using active art as a teaching tool, middle school students were engaged in a paint pouring activity to study the influence of the interdisciplinary combination of chemistry and art topics…

In contemporary society, cultivating scientific literacy among the public is imperative for informed decision-making on matters influencing general well-being. Here, we report the multifaceted activity Magnifying Minds as a collaboration between artists and scientists to enhance scientific literacy through public art. Murals as a medium for…

Smartphone technology has the potential to make heritage science accessible to museums, individual collectors, and educators. Infrared reflectography (IRR) is a nondestructive analysis method used by museums to gain information about the provenance, history, and aging of artworks. This paper introduces a highly accessible, inexpensive apparatus…

We present ideas about how to incorporate discussion of a paintings collection in chemistry classrooms. Specifically, it is a collection of paintings that have illustrated calendars since 1900, from a traditional Spanish explosives company (founded by Alfred Nobel and now known as Maxam). The case is discussed in relation to the "chemistry in…

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) studies of art represent an attractive way to introduce undergraduate students to concepts in nanoscience, vibrational spectroscopy, and instrumental analysis. Here, we present an undergraduate analytical or physical chemistry laboratory wherein a combination of normal Raman and SERS spectroscopy is used to…

Case studies and current literature are combined with spectroscopic analysis to provide a unique chemistry experience for art history students and to provide a unique inquiry-based laboratory experiment for analytical chemistry students. The XRF analysis method was used to demonstrate to nonscience majors (art history students) a powerful…

Imaging of artwork is an important aspect of art conservation, technical art history, and art authentication. Many forms of near-infrared (NIR) imaging are used by conservators, archaeologists, forensic scientists, and technical art historians to examine the underdrawings of paintings, to detect damages and restorations, to enhance faded or…

Introduces a science activity in which students make and examine the characteristics of egg tempera painting. Includes both instructor information and a student activity sheet. (YDS)

Describes pigments and artists' colors from a chronological perspective. Explains how chemical analysis can be used to distinguish the differences between artists' palettes, identify the evolution of art, and lead to restoration of an art work. (Contains 13 references.) (YDS)

Two linked courses examining conservation science and art history of 17th-century Dutch painting are described. The two courses have been taught on campus and, most recently, as study-abroad courses in collaboration with the Center for European Studies, Universiteit Maastricht, The Netherlands. The highly interdisciplinary courses are intense, yet…

Describes a one-year high school course in applied chemistry and introductory art. Gives a course overview by art and chemistry topic. Discusses color, painting surfaces, clays and glazes, texture and line, jewelry making, photography, art history, and chemical hazards in art. (CW)