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Near-infrared spectroscopy illuminates medieval art - Scientists in the US and Italy have borrowed a technique more usually associated with geophysical remote sensing and applied it to medieval artwork - with stunning results. The near-infrared hyperspectral imaging of a leaf from a 15th century illuminated manuscript has produced a map of the pigment binders used by the artist. The technique will not only allow conservation specialists to better plan strategies for restoring and stabilising paintings, but will also give art historians new insights into the materials and methods favoured by individual artists. Reference: P Ricciardi et al, Angew. Chem., Int. Ed., 2012, DOI: 10.1002/anie.201200840