1. Context

As recently as March 2012, the headlines reminded us of Italian scientist Maurizio Seracini's quest to demonstrate that The Battle of Anghiari, a mural fresco painted by Leonardo da Vinci in 1505, is still hidden behind another fresco painted by Giorgio Vasari in 1563 in the Grand Council Chamber of the Palazio Vecchio in Florence (NY Times April 21, 2002, Le Monde March 15, 2012). As a clue, Vasari is said to have pointed the way by inscribing directly on his work the enigmatic message "Cerca, trova..." ("Seek, find...").

Today, there are many investigative techniques available for the non-destructive analysis of art objects. These methods, developed by scientists (engineers and researchers in physics, chemistry, etc.), are increasingly perfected in order to push back the limits of investigation ever further. The aim is also to reveal, at least in part, the historical...