Within the framework of conservation and assistance for the restoration of cultural property, a method of analysis assistance has been developed to help in the restoration of cultural heritage. Several collaborations have already demonstrated the possibility of defects detection (delamination, salts) in murals paintings using stimulated infrared thermography. One of the difficulties encountered with infrared thermography applied to the analysis of works of art is the remanence of the pictorial layer. This difficulty can sometimes induce detection artifacts and false positives. A method of thermograms post-processing called PPT (pulse phase thermography) is described. The possibilities offered by the PPT in terms of reducing the optical effects associated with the pictorial layer are highlighted first with a simulation, and then through experiments. This approach can significantly improve the study of painted works of art such as wall paintings.

The purpose of this paper is to approach stimulated infrared thermography possibilities in terms of measuring longitudinal thermal diffusivity of mural paintings in situ. The measuring method principle is first submitted. It is based on temporal analysis of changes in the characteristic radius beams of spatial profiles of the photothermal signal, measured on the spot of the laser excitation. The feasibility of the method is demonstrated, thanks to a series of simulations. Lastly, the method enables to correctly estimate longitudinal thermal diffusivity in a test sample, and further in a fragment copy of “Saint Christophe” belonging to the Campana collection in the Louvre.