1. Hans van Meegeren On Trial

2. Hans van Meegeren Born in Deventer, The Netherlands in 1889 An architect at first, but turns to art in 1913 when he wins first prize for a drawing of the interior of a church He began to research for the forgery of a Vermeer in 1932 and had begun by 1936 Arrested for conspiring with the enemy in 1945; his confession that he forged the paintings saved him from this charge Found guilty of forgery; died in prison of a heart attack less than a year later

3. Van Meegeren’s Best Known Work Why Forge? Not very successful on his own Bitterness toward the art world because of this Mental condition Financial gain “The defendant’s character leads to sensitiveness to criticism, fed by a revenge complex which explains his anti-social tendencies (i.e. – crime)” – van der Horst

4. Why Vermeer? Fairly unknown during his lifetime Girl with a Pearl Earring Small body of works Not an “heirloom” painter (vs. Rembrandt)

5. Christ in the House of Martha and Mary

6. Caravaggio- Supper at Emmaus

7. The Technique Christ at Emmaus

8. Tests Woman in Blue Woman with a Lute

9. Pigments UltramarineWhite LeadVermillion Yellow OchreGreen EarthIndigo

10. Crack Lines Girl with a Pearl Earring

11. Crack Lines Christ at Emmaus

12. Crack Lines

13. Phenolformaldehyde resin

14. Examining Christ

15. The Last Supper

16. I Have Summoned up the Depths

17. The Last Supper Girl with a Pearl Earring

19. Physics Radiograph Analysis Christ at EmmausWashing of the Feet

20. Sketch at Trial Radiograph Christ at Emmaus

21. Physics Radiograph Analysis Christ at EmmausWashing of the Feet

22. Radiograph Washing of the Feet

23. XRF Analysis Woman Taken in Adultery Examination of Christ’s Robe

24. Ultramarine Na 8-10 Al 6 Si 6 O 24 S 2-4

25. Na = 1.02 keV Al = 1.47 keV Si = 1.72 keV S = 2.295 keV Characteristic X-Ray Transitions E x = (Z-1) 2 · 13.6 [eV] · (1- 1/n i 2 )

26. Counts Na Al Si S

27. Na Al Si S ? Counts

28. Ultramarine Na 8-10 Al 6 Si 6 O 24 S 2-4 Cobalt Blue CoO · Al 2 O 3

29. E x = (Z-1) 2 · 13.6 [eV] · (1- 1/n i 2 ) Co = 6.895 keV !

30. Na Al Si S Co Counts

31. Cobalt Blue Discovered in 1802 by Thénard Vermeer died in 1675

32. XRF Analysis Woman Taken in Adultery

33. Physics 2 – Van Meegeren 0 Iron Smelting White Lead

35. Iron Smelting Ore Ra-226 Pb-210 SlagWhite Lead

37. Half-life Pb- 210: 22 years Half-Life Ra- 226: 1600 years

38. Sample Calculations Ra- 226: constant- k Since both these times are relatively short compared to the half-life of radium, the activity will remain approximately constant Measuring activity over a periods of 300 years (the time when Vermeer would have smelted) and 50 years (the time when Van Meegeren would have smelted)

39. Sample Calculations Pb-110: Measuring activity over a periods of 50 years (the time when Van Meegeren would have smelted) and 300 years (the time when Vermeer would have smelted) 1g sample @ 50 years A = λN N 0 (Pb-110) = 5.48 x 10 21 atoms N (Pb-110) = 5.13 x 10 20 atoms A (Pb-110) = 5.25 x 10 11 decays/second

40. Sample Calculations Pb-110: Measuring activity over a periods of 50 years (the time when Van Meegeren would have smelted) and 300 years (the time when Vermeer would have smelted) 1g sample @ 300 years A = λN N 0 (Pb-110) = 5.48 x 10 21 atoms N (Pb-110) = 4.3 x 10 17 atoms A (Pb-110) = 3.15 x 10 7 decays/second

41. Pb-110/ Ra-226 Ratio 3.15 x 10 7 decays/second5.25 x 10 11 decays/second kk 60% difference! @ 300 years@ 50 years

43. Hans van Meegeren On Trial