The Secrets of a Royal Portrait

In collaboration with the Leventis Municipal Museum of Nicosia, the study of a 16th century portrait of the last queen of Cyprus Caterina Cornaro shed light on the history of the painting identifying various overpainting efforts, corrections and interventions that altered the original composition. Tracing these changes is particularly important to understand the work’s place in relation to other versions of the same topic. The application of digital microscopy, UV/IR/IRFC imaging, Fiber-Optic Reflectance Spectroscopy and micro-X-Ray Fluorescence spectroscopy and X-Ray Radiography provided valuable data on the painting’s layers and stratigraphy, the artist’s technique, dating and state of preservation.