Non-destructive Investigation of “The Violinist” a Lead Sculpture by Pablo Gargallo, Using the Neutron Imaging Facility NEUTRA in the Paul Scherrer Institute

Abstract

The Violinist (1920), the only sculpture made by Gargallo using lead sheet and wood, is being corroded by carbonation, most probably due to the organic vapours released by the wood inside, a material not chemically compatible with lead. Hydrogen plasma has been tested and proved to be an effective treatment meaning that the sculpture has to be dismantled in order to give the plasma gas access to the lead carbonate crusts on the inner surface of the lead sheet. Prior to dismantling, a complete exploration and diagnosis of this lead sculpture has been carried out through neutron imaging at the Paul Scherrer Institute. This non-destructive technique has produced different sets of images including radiography, tomography and 3D reconstruction. Despite the presence of a core made of an organic material such as wood, the digital processing of the images and their in depth visual analysis have yielded new three-dimensional information of inaccessible details of the sculpture, allowing us to assess its present state of conservation and the manufacturing technique and materials used by the artist. The results presented in this article highlight how information from neutron imaging can be of great value when it comes to set the strategies for future conservation treatment