Dr. Montserrat Rabago-Smith, Guest Lecturer

Master artists such as Vincent van Gogh, Rembrandt van Rijn, and Paul Gauguin, among others, reused canvases of unfinished works. Did you ever wonder what secrets hide beneath famous paintings? With the help of scientific techniques such as X-ray Fluorescence, we can answer that question. Noninvasive spectroscopic techniques can provide insights into hidden images in famous works such as Ren. Magritte’s, Le Portrait (1935), Rembrandt’s An Old Man in Military Costume (1630–1631), and Vincent van Gogh’s Patch of Grass (1887). This lecture will explore “hidden images” from the above artworks, briefly discuss the visualization process, and introduce applications in the restoration and conservation of works of art.

Dr. Rabago-Smith is an Associate Chemistry Professor at Kettering University, where she teaches in the Natural Science and Chemical Engineering Departments. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Instituto Tecnol.gico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM) in Mexico, and her PhD in Organic Chemistry from Michigan State University. Her areas of interest include materials, bioorganic chemistry, environmental pollutants, alternative energy sources, art, and educational chemistry. She was a SciArt Center’s Bridge Resident in 2018.