Unlocking the Secrets of Art with Advanced XRF Technology
Discover Hidden Details
Discover hidden details in paintings with our state-of-the-art Bruker M6 Jetstream, available for private commissions in the US.
Based in the USA, Anne Howard Imaging offers a rare opportunity for art collectors, conservators, and researchers to explore the elemental composition of paintings through non-destructive XRF scanning. Our Bruker M6 Jetstream, a cutting-edge large-area micro-XRF scanner, reveals the unseen layers and pigments of your artwork—services not widely available outside major institutions. Contact us to bring your paintings’ stories to light.
Anne Howard Imaging is proud to bring advanced art analysis to the public with our Bruker M6 Jetstream—the only commercially available machine of its kind for private painting scans in the United States. While major institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Yale University own similar technology, their machines are reserved for internal use and are not accessible to the public. We fill this gap, offering professional-grade XRF scanning to uncover the elemental makeup of your artwork, from hidden layers to pigment identification. Whether you’re a collector seeking authentication, a conservator planning restoration, or a researcher studying artistic techniques, we’re here to help.
Using the Bruker M6 Jetstream, we provide non-invasive macro-XRF scanning to create detailed elemental maps of paintings. This technology allows us to:
Identify pigments and materials used by artists.
Reveal underdrawings or hidden layers beneath the surface.
Assist in authentication, conservation, and art historical research.
Our machine can scan large areas—up to 800 x 600 mm—in a single run, with high resolution and speed, making it ideal for artworks of all sizes. Based in the US, we’re uniquely positioned to serve private clients who lack access to institutional scanners.
See the power of XRF scanning in action. Below, we showcase a part of an early 20th century painting under visible light alongside an elemental map of mercury and strontium as acquired from the M6. Mercury is an elemental component of the red pigment vermilion while strontium is an elemental component of the fairly rare pigment strontium yellow. One can see the profound changes to the work as the artist moved towards the painting's final form. First it can be seen that the seated figure in white originally had his right hand at the same height as his left. The artist changed this position to have the figure's hand resting below his chin, perhaps to enhance the girth of the figure. Second, it can be seen that the figure above the seated man (a carriage driver) initially faced forward in the painting, as can be seen by the end of a riding crop, the vermilion cravat, and the reds that would have been his face. Perhaps the artist wished to emphasize the foreground figures of the painting in turning the minor carriage driver figure away from the viewer. Finally, in the upper section of the image is a sketch of what appears to be a bull, rendered quickly and containing the strontium yellow pigment. Whether this was just some playful addition to the scene that was subsequently covered up or an indication of the re-use of an earlier sketching canvas remains unknown.
Painting in visible light
XRF scan showing the distribution of Mercury and Strontium
Get in Touch
Ready to uncover the hidden stories in your artwork? Contact Anne Howard Imaging to discuss your project or schedule a scan with our Bruker M6 Jetstream. We’re excited to work with you!
