A concise insight into the outputs provided by the latest prototype of visible‐near infrared (Vis‐NIR) multispectral scanner (National Research Council‐National Institute of Optics, CNR‐INO, Italy) is presented. The analytical data acquired on an oil paintingMadonna of the Rabbitby É. Manet are described. In this work, the Vis‐NIR was complemented with X‐ray fluorescence (XRF) mapping for the chemical and spatial characterization of several pigments. The spatially registered Vis‐NIR data facilitated their processing by spectral correlation mapping (SCM) and artificial neural network (ANN) algorithm, respectively, for pigment mapping and improved visibility ofpentimentiand of underdrawing style. The data provided several key elements for the comparison with a homonymous original work by Titian studied within the ARCHive LABoratory (ARCHLAB) transnational access project.

Raman spectroscopy (RS) is a powerful non-invasive tool for the characterization of materials. However, the fluorescence effect often hampers the detectability of the relatively weak vibrational Raman signal. Several approaches were exploited to overcome this limit. This work, in particular, evaluates the performance of an in situ portable sequentially shifted excitation (SSE™) Raman spectrometer applied to the examination of artistic historical pigment powders enclosed in glass vials. The explored handheld spectrometer employs a dual, temperature-shifted, 785 nm and 852 nm laser excitation to optimize both spectral coverage and fluorescence subtraction. The study demonstrates the feasibility of the SSE RS approach for non-invasive identification of art materials, and its applicability in complex situations where the examined material cannot be removed from its container. Laboratory measurements using benchtop dispersive micro-Raman spectroscopy at 785 nm are reported for comparison.

Copper alloy artworks are particularly subjected to chloride attack, which may trigger bronze disease. Therefore, early identification of the phenomenon is crucial in order to stabilize the reactive copper chloride (CuCl) and remove the harmful corrosion products (atacamite and polymorphs). Confocal Raman Microspectroscopy (CRM) has proven to be effective for the detection of small amounts of atacamite, ascribable to the initial phases of corrosion. The handling of bronze artworks is often difficult or even impossible given their large size and weight, and sampling is not always allowed, making the use of portable instruments mandatory for on-site diagnostics. This paper proposes a method for the early detection of corrosion using non-invasive approaches. In this work, we present the results obtained from a set of artificially aged bronze samples with a suite of either laboratory (bench-top) or field (portable/transportable) instruments with the aim of highlighting their characteristics and performances in the diagnosis of bronze disease. Raman spectroscopy, Fiber Optics Reflectance Spectroscopy (FORS), Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) were applied for chemical and morphological characterization of the samples.