Dr. Cristina Lopes Aibéo

Function

Employee (Rathgen-Forschungslabor)

Institution

Rathgen-Forschungslabor

Contact

c.aibeo[at]smb.spk-berlin.de

Focus | Responsibilities | Projects

• Analysis of inorganic materials, such as the stratigraphy of wall paintings, canvas paintings and panel paintings, particularly pigments, using microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, XRF and ESEM-EDX; metal alloys using XRF, ESEM-EDX and ICP-OES. In addition, analysis of mortar and the Oddy test.
• Analysis of metal samples taken from bronze and brass sculptures from Benin at the MARKK Museum am Rothenbaum–World Cultures and Arts in Hamburg, using microscopy, XRF and ICP-OES as part of the ‘Digital Benin’ project.
  Website of the project “Digital Benin”
• Analysis of enamel and gold alloys from various objects as part of the ‘CROWN’ project, using in-situ measurements with a portable XRF analyser.
  Website of the Project “CROWN”
• Analysis of wall painting fragments and embedded cross-sections from St Nicholas’ Church in Frankfurt (Oder) using microscopy, ESEM-EDX and Raman spectroscopy, with the aim of characterising their pigments and resulting degradation products.
  Website of the University of Applied Sciences of Potsdam about the Project
• Microscopy and multispectral imaging to compare five rediscovered paintings from the collection of Friedenstein Palace in Gotha with their historical documentation. Comparison of old and new X-ray images.
  The Ernst von Siemens Art Foundation’s website on the five Old Master paintings
• In-situ analyses of pigments and dyes on the miniature paintings in the manuscript of Maria von Geldern using microscopy, VIS and Raman spectroscopy, and XRF. Non-invasive analyses of the parchment and examination of a sample to determine the degree of chemical ageing.
  Website of the Radboud University about the Project “Mary of Guelders”
• Plasma was used to remove old protective coatings and graffiti from stone and layers of soot and grime from wall paintings, and to reduce various corrosion products from metal. Both commercial plasma devices and the prototype developed within the PANNA project were tested.
  Website of the European Union about the PANNA Project
• Analysis of climate data and samples of wall paintings from the underground tombs of the Koguryo Dynasty in North Korea (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
  Website from UNESCO about the Koguryo Tombs in North Korea

Vita

Membership

Since 2018: ICOM

Publications

• Babette Hartwieg and Cristina Aibéo: “Changes in orpigment in Vittore Carpaccio’s large-scale canvases at the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin”, From Red to Black–and Then? Pigment Changes in Art and Cultural Heritage, Hendrik Bäßler Verlag, Berlin, 134–152, 2024.
• Cristina Aibéo, Ellen Egel, Christoph Schmidt, Stefan Simon: “CSI in Charlottenburg. Conservation analysis of the five stolen paintings at the Rathgen Research Laboratory”. In: Trümper (ed.). The Lost Masterpieces Return to Gotha. Michael Imhof Verlag, 100–107, 2021.
• Cristina Aibéo et al., “The Image of the Image–The Authenticity of the Paintings from the Gotha Art Heist”–Proceedings of the 14th KKBB, Arbeitshefte des Brandenburgischen Landesamtes für Denkmalpflege und Archäologischen Landesmuseums No. 61, Hendrik Bäßler Verlag, Berlin, 58–69, 2021.
• Stephan Zink et al., “Tracing the colours of Hermogenes’ temple of Artemis: architectural surface analysis in the Antikensammlung Berlin”, *Les couleurs de l’Antique*, *Technè* no. 48, 14–26, 2019.
• C. Aibéo, E. Egel, K. Müller, M. Alfeld, S. Schwerdtfeger, I. Reiche, “Distinguishing different illuminators in the manuscript of Mary of Guelders“, Berliner Beiträge zur Archäometrie, Kunsttchnologie und Konserwierungswissenschaft, 2017, 25, 149–157.
• C. Aibéo, S.Röhrs, G. Marucci, I. Reiche, “Comparison of Different Non-invasive μ-Raman Set-ups for Studying Pigments in Art Works”, Iranian Conservation Science Journal, 2017; 1 (1), 6–16.
• C. Aibéo, S. Schwerdtfeger, I. Reiche, U. Stehr, S. Stelzig, “Analyses of yellow pigments in 17th-century German paintings in the collection of the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin”, Berliner Beiträge zur Archäometrie, Kunsttechnologie und Konservierungswissenschaft, 2015, 23, 15–28.
• M. H. Dehkordi, S. Röhrs, Ch. Herm, S. Simon, C. Aibéo, “Study on the indoor air quality in six museums in Berlin, Teheran and Mumbai“, Berliner Beiträge zur Archäometrie, Kunsttchnologie und Konserwierungswissenschaft, 2015, 23, 109–118.
• C. Aibéo et al., “Cleaning graffiti and soot with atmospheric plasma“, Berliner Beiträge zur Archäometrie, Kunsttchnologie und Konserwierungswissenschaft, 2014, 22, 69–76.
• G. Van der Snickt, K. Janssens, O. Schalm, C. Aibéo, H. Kloust and M. Alfeld, “James Ensor’s pigment use: artistic and material evolution studied by means of portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometry“, X-Ray Spectrom. 2010, 39, 103–111.
• C. Aibéo et al., „Analyse mittels Mikro-Raman-Spektroskopie zur Untersuchung der Bildung von Bleidioxid aus Bleiweiß“, *Art Technology: Sources and Methods – Tagungsband des zweiten Symposiums der Forschungsgruppe „Art Technological Source Research“* von Archetype Publications 2008, 138–140.
• C. Aibéo, S. Goffin, O. Schalm, G. van der Snickt, N. Laquière, P. Eyskens, K. Janssens, “Micro Raman analysis for the identification of pigments from 19th and 20th Century paintings“, Journal of Raman Spectroscopy 2008, 39; 1091–1098.