Technical examination of the Foster Codices II and III by Leonardo da Vinci

"Technical examination of the Foster Codices II and III by Leonardo da Vinci”
Dr Valentina Risdonne, Conservation Scientist, V&A
Dr Valentina Risdonne: born in Italy, Heritage Scientist. B.Sc. (University of Perugia) and
M.Sc. (University of Parma) in Sciences for the Conservation of Cultural Heritage. She was
awarded a AHRC CDP PhD at Northumbria University and Victoria and Albert Museum. She
worked as research assistant at Historic Royal Palaces (2019) and at The University of Glasgow
(2021) and, since February 2022, she worked at the Victoria and Albert Museum. She is currently
Conservation Scientist at the V&A and Laboratory Coordinator at University College London. Her
research interests so far include lacquer object, pigments, plaster casts and modern materials.

This is a contributed talk delivered at:

Science and engineering research for cultural heritage and conservation Conference held at Imperial College London on 20th September 2023

About Science and Engineering Research for Cultural Heritage
A Network of Excellence connecting scientists & engineers with conservators & heritage professionals to find solutions to cultural heritage problems. The artworks, artefacts and structures inherited from the past have a powerful impact on our society, so the conservation of our cultural heritage is fundamental for future generations. This shared cultural heritage requires intervention to stabilise and prevent further degradation of often unique artefacts. This degradation results from use, ageing, unpredicted events, environmental conditions, and poorly chosen previous restoration treatments whose details are often unknown. Scientists and engineers can assist greatly by identifying the changes in the materials, the mechanisms of degradation, and predicting how the object will respond to conservation and display. This knowledge enables conservators to make informed choices about suitable treatments, so the conservation of cultural heritage is truly interdisciplinary.

About The Institute for Molecular Science and Engineering
The Institute for Molecular Science and Engineering (IMSE) is one of Imperial College London’s Global Institutes, drawing on the strength of its four faculties to address some of the grand challenges facing the world today. The Institute’s activities are focused on tackling problems where molecular innovation plays an important role.