Connecting the Ensemble: Integrated Technical Analysis and Heritage Science in the Study of Margarito d’Arezzo

The collaborative research project on Margarito d’Arezzo and his workshop represents one of the most extensive and integrated technical studies ever conducted on a thirteenth-century Italian painter. An interdisciplinary team–comprising conservation scientists, art historians, conservators, and analytical chemists–worked collaboratively to investigate a group of panel paintings by this artist. The investigations were guided by visual examination and largely employed non-invasive analytical techniques. Occasionally, samples were collected to answer particular queries, following non-invasive investigations. The non-invasive multi-technique approach, combining hyperspectral reflectance imaging (VIS-NIR-SWIR), macro X-ray fluorescence (MA-XRF), macro X-ray diffraction (MA-XRD), high-resolution digital microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy, enabled a detailed characterisation of the materials used in the various panels. This integrated approach revealed a workshop practice characterised by remarkable technical consistency alongside creative variations adapted to different contexts and functions.