Non-invasive survey of pre-restoration condition of the ceiling paintings by Peter Paul Rubens at the Banqueting House Whitehall, London, by means of Optical Coherence Tomography

Abstract

This article presents the results of the examination by means of optical coherence tomography (OCT) of two of the nine monumental ceiling paintings by Peter Paul Rubens and his studio, still located in their original location at the Banqueting House, the only surviving building of the former Whitehall Palace in London. OCT is a non-invasive technique of structural imaging of layers semi-permeable to the infra-red radiation. The aim of the 2018 research campaign at the Banqueting House, conducted within the MOLAB programme under the IPERION CH project, was to determine the present condition of the paintings and thus inform decisions about future conservation planning for these unique paintings.