Contribution of wood scientists to the preventive conservation of Mona Lisa

Since 2004 an international research group of wood technologists has been given by the Louvre museum the task of analysing the mechanical situation of the wooden support Mona Lisa, the world famous poplar panel painted early 16th century by Leonardo da Vinci. The general purpose of such study was to evaluate the influences that could possibly derive from environmental fluctuations in the showcase where the painting is exhibited as well as outside the showcase for occasional checks, and develop measurements and models to improve its conservation conditions. To acquire data on the mechanical behaviour of the panel, and to feed and calibrate appropriate simulation models, the team has set up a continuous monitoring by means of automatic equipment, completed by occasional measurement of the panel shape by optical methods. The results from the measurements are being processed to be included into a 3D numerical finite elements model to simulate the panel behaviour under environmental fluctuations.