The Trace in the Technique: Observation in Art Connoisseurship and Forensic Science

Description:
Both scientific art investigations and forensic investigations rely on observation, inferential reasoning, and analytical techniques to answer questions concerning identification, source, and activity of traces and objects. Prior to conducting an analysis, the scientist must carefully observe the object of interest, whether a painting by a great master, fragments of pottery, or a roll of duct tape. The forensic scientist and the art connoisseur evaluate the whole—a crime scene or work of art, respectively—and draw meaning from the often-overlooked details, or traces, contained therein. Such observations not only facilitate identifications and comparisons, but also guide the method of asking questions, generating hypotheses, and reasoning through analytical approaches to problem-solving.

This presentation addresses the relationship between forensic science and art connoisseurship, specifically focusing on the importance of observation and interpretation. First, an overview of the historical evolution of scientific approaches to art connoisseurship is presented, establishing connections to crime scene investigation and reconstruction within the forensic science framework. This presentation then explores ways of looking and seeing by shifting from historical approaches that focused on developing a practiced eye to modern methods used in forensic science and technical art history. Utilizing technical aids such as digital imaging (e.g. infrared reflectography), alternate light sources (luminescence), and microscopy (e.g. PLM), the laboratory scientist looks beyond the surface to identify and compare objects and traces while evaluating new and existing lines of inquiry. After addressing the means by which the scientist shifts from observation to interpretation through inferential reasoning, this presentation concludes by reinforcing the importance of observation and trace detection through the development and continuous refinement of the scientist’s practiced eye.

Speaker: Michelle Miranda - Farmingdale State College, The State University of New York