Special relativity: Albert Einstein to Leonardo Da Vinci

The final printing of “Albert Einstein Correspondence avec Michele Besso 1903 - 1955” was released by Collection Savoir, Hermann, Paris, on “Nine-Eleven” 2001. Upon collecting the full printed run of the Einstein/Besso correspondence, the heir to the Besso estate, Dr. Vittorio Besso, was invited to...

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Main Authors: John Asmus, Vadim Parfenov
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Bologna 2022-08-01
Series:Conservation Science in Cultural Heritage
Subjects:
Online Access:https://conservation-science.unibo.it/article/view/15258
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author John Asmus
Vadim Parfenov
author_facet John Asmus
Vadim Parfenov
author_sort John Asmus
collection DOAJ
description The final printing of “Albert Einstein Correspondence avec Michele Besso 1903 - 1955” was released by Collection Savoir, Hermann, Paris, on “Nine-Eleven” 2001. Upon collecting the full printed run of the Einstein/Besso correspondence, the heir to the Besso estate, Dr. Vittorio Besso, was invited to attend the scientific conference LACONA V (LACONA is the abbreviation of the words Lasers for Artworks Conservation, which is the name of the most important international conference in the field) where he became aware of the laser technique for the divestment of restorations from paintings. Thereafter upon returning to his ophthalmological studio in Imperia, Italy, Dr. Besso performed laser ablation of overpaints revealing pentimenti of the painter’s autograph on a “Mona Lisa” painting in the family collection of inherited Renaissance paintings. An IR photograph of the faint signature pentimenti was then compared with validated autographs of Leonardo’s assistant and companion, Francesco Melzi, and found to be geometrically inconsistent with validated signatures. Amplitude histograms of features of this “Mona Lisa” were next compared with comparable validated original portraits by Melzi, revealing chiaroscuro “fingerprints.” Any potential Melzi attribution would be consistent with the Besso family history as illuminated in the fifty-two years of Einstein/Besso correspondence concerning both art and science.
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spelling doaj.art-2c30219292024710b742fd717367d71c2022-12-22T01:40:05ZengUniversity of BolognaConservation Science in Cultural Heritage1974-49511973-94942022-08-012133734410.48255/1973-9494.JCSCH.21.2021.1613591Special relativity: Albert Einstein to Leonardo Da VinciJohn Asmus0Vadim Parfenov1University of California San Diego, CA, USASt. Petersburg Electrotechnical University, St. Petersburg, Russian FederationThe final printing of “Albert Einstein Correspondence avec Michele Besso 1903 - 1955” was released by Collection Savoir, Hermann, Paris, on “Nine-Eleven” 2001. Upon collecting the full printed run of the Einstein/Besso correspondence, the heir to the Besso estate, Dr. Vittorio Besso, was invited to attend the scientific conference LACONA V (LACONA is the abbreviation of the words Lasers for Artworks Conservation, which is the name of the most important international conference in the field) where he became aware of the laser technique for the divestment of restorations from paintings. Thereafter upon returning to his ophthalmological studio in Imperia, Italy, Dr. Besso performed laser ablation of overpaints revealing pentimenti of the painter’s autograph on a “Mona Lisa” painting in the family collection of inherited Renaissance paintings. An IR photograph of the faint signature pentimenti was then compared with validated autographs of Leonardo’s assistant and companion, Francesco Melzi, and found to be geometrically inconsistent with validated signatures. Amplitude histograms of features of this “Mona Lisa” were next compared with comparable validated original portraits by Melzi, revealing chiaroscuro “fingerprints.” Any potential Melzi attribution would be consistent with the Besso family history as illuminated in the fifty-two years of Einstein/Besso correspondence concerning both art and science.https://conservation-science.unibo.it/article/view/15258mona lisaleonardo da vincilaser cleaningpaintinghistogram
spellingShingle John Asmus
Vadim Parfenov
Special relativity: Albert Einstein to Leonardo Da Vinci
Conservation Science in Cultural Heritage
mona lisa
leonardo da vinci
laser cleaning
painting
histogram
title Special relativity: Albert Einstein to Leonardo Da Vinci
title_full Special relativity: Albert Einstein to Leonardo Da Vinci
title_fullStr Special relativity: Albert Einstein to Leonardo Da Vinci
title_full_unstemmed Special relativity: Albert Einstein to Leonardo Da Vinci
title_short Special relativity: Albert Einstein to Leonardo Da Vinci
title_sort special relativity albert einstein to leonardo da vinci
topic mona lisa
leonardo da vinci
laser cleaning
painting
histogram
url https://conservation-science.unibo.it/article/view/15258
work_keys_str_mv AT johnasmus specialrelativityalberteinsteintoleonardodavinci
AT vadimparfenov specialrelativityalberteinsteintoleonardodavinci