We are excited to share the publication of a new article in the Journal of Cultural Heritage, highlighting the contribution of the Photonics for Heritage Science (PhoHS) group of IESL-FORTH to the Ageing-induced changes in varnish-coated oil paints in collaboration with colleagues from the European project IPERION HS (Integrated Platform for the European Research Infrastructure ON Heritage Science, GA 871034)

The article, entitled “Ageing-induced changes in varnish-coated oil paints: Surface and subsurface multi-technical analysis“  is authored by Alice Dal Fovo, Laura Maestro-Guijarro, Paula María Carmona-Quiroga, Raffaella Fontana, Francesca Rosi, Martina Alunni Cardinali, Aldo Romani, Lucia Comez, Cristiano Riminesi, Magdalena Iwanicka, Piotr Targowski, Magdalena Kowalska, Aggelos Philippidis, Paraskevi Pouli,  Marta Castillejo, and Mohamed Oujja.

This publication establishes a rigorous and scalable analytical protocol for the assessment of varnish ageing processes in oil paintings, enabling conservation scientists and painting conservators to evaluate material degradation with minimal intervention. This multidisciplinary work advances conservation science by establishing robust analytical methodologies capable of detecting early stages of degradation in varnished paintings, with direct relevance to conservation strategies for cultural heritage collections. The results support evidence-based decision-making for the monitoring and long-term preservation of museum collections, providing quantitative indicators to guide conservation treatment strategies.

An international consortium of research institutions from Italy, Spain, Poland, Greece, and other European countries carried out the study. Financial support was provided through European Union research programmes and national funding agencies, facilitating access to advanced analytical infrastructures for heritage science.

Read the full article here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.culher.2025.10.003