UV and Conservation

Reduce Damage to Sensitive Works
Light rays (photons) cut through atoms of fragile color molecules and organic materials, breaking the bonds that hold the molecules together. These images show the effect of long term exposure to Ultraviolet light (UV wavelengths) on a 20th century oil painting. While modern LED light sources typically do not emit UV, some legacy sources do.

When viewed in colour under an optical microscope, the top left image where the paint was unprotected shows the colours have faded, while the bottom left image shows the colours retained their original intensity when protected from UV.

When viewed in black and white under an electron micrograph, the top right image shows the surface of the oil medium eroded and cracked, while the bottom right image shows the surface stayed smooth and undamaged when not exposed to UV. (images courtesy of the Canadian Conservation Institute)

The best preventative measure is to use a high quality light source that does not emit UV or emit excessive heat from infra-red (IR) wavelengths. Lumicrest’s LED lights emit no UV and minimal IR.