The study of bronze statuettes with the help of neutron-imaging techniques

Until recently fabrication techniques of Renaissance bronzes have been studied only with the naked eye, microscopically, videoscopically and with X-radiography. These techniques provide information on production techniques, yet much important detail remains unclear. As part of an interdisciplinary study of Renaissance bronzes undertaken by the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, neutron-imaging techniques have been applied with the aim of obtaining a better understanding of bronze workmanship during the Renaissance period. Therefore, an explanation of the fabrication techniques is given to better understand the data collected by these neutron-imaging techniques. The data was used for tomography studies, which reveal hidden aspects that could not at all or scarcely be seen using X-radiography. For this specific study, the representative bronze ‘Hercules Pomarius’ of Willem van Tetrode (ca 1520–1588) has been examined, along with 20 other Renaissance bronzes from the Rijksmuseum collection.
Materials Science and Engineering
Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering