FORS dataset of Anadyomene Venus

Statuette of Venus. The piece is not fully intact, with the lower portion of the body missing from the mid-thighs downward. The goddess is represented in the iconography of Anadyomene, with a slight movement of the torso that suggests the physical exertion of wringing out her hair after emerging from the sea or bath. This posture, which is well-documented in classical depictions of Venus, emphasizes the dynamic nature of her action, creating a subtle sense of movement and tension. The hair of the deity is rendered in a flowing style, divided into two large strands that she holds in each hand. These thick locks are an essential element of the iconography. Remarkably, traces of the original polychrome painting have been preserved on the hair; pigments cover a significant portion of the hair to enhance realism. The goddess is depicted nude. 

Reflectance spectroscopy is a well-established technique for the study of traditional artworks on parchment, paper, textiles, stained glass/windows, stones, walls, canvas, and panel paintings. It is based on the spectral analysis of electromagnetic radiation reflected from a surface as a means of investigating the properties of surface material. 

The absorptions due to electronic transitions in the broad spectral window from visible to NIR (400-1000 nm), can be exploited for the identification of most of the pigments and the characterization of organic dyes and alteration products. 

Fibre optic reflectance spectroscopy (FORS) spectra in the 350–1000 nm range were acquired using a Tungsten source (Ocean Optics mod. HL200, Ocean Insight, Orlando, FL, USA) and a spectrometer (Ocean Optics mod. HR2000, Ocean Insight, Orlando, FL, USA) equipped with optical fibres. The measuring head with 0° illumination and 0° signal collection allowed the acquisition of the reflectance spectrum of an area of about 2 mm^2.

Each acquired spectrum was the average of 30 scans. As a reference, a Spectralon© plate (WS-1S-L Labsphere certified standard, 99% reflective material, Labsphere Inc., North Sutton, NH, USA) was used.  

The acquired reflectance spectra, handled with OOIBASE software (v. 32), were compared with paint replicas 

Connection of the Y fibers bundle with 0° illumination and 0° signal collection with the in-house measurement head. Calibration of white and black on Spectralon© plate  

Interpretation by calculating the derivative of the spectra and by comparison with the reference dataset of reflectance spectra