Mid-Wave Infrared Analysis of the Wall Drawing “Saint Joseph with the Child” by Gian Lorenzo Bernini

In this work, Mid-Wave Infrared imaging techniques are applied to the investigation of the Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s masterpiece “Saint Joseph and the Child” preserved at the Palazzo Chigi in Ariccia (Rome, Italy). In order to study this artwork, consisting in a drawing on wall, an integrated approach based on the use of Pulsed Thermography and Mid-Wave Infrared Reflectography is proposed. The combined use of these techniques enables the non-destructive characterization of sub-surface and structural features, such as inhomogeneities and restored areas on the plaster, and also of the materials used to obtain the drawing, thus revealing information on the preservation status of the artwork.