High-performance liquid chromatography and non-destructive three-dimensional fluorescence analysis of early synthetic dyes

Chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques are evaluated for the analysis of early synthetic dyes. The research focuses on the analysis of dyestuffs that were developed and used in the period 1850–1900, which has not been well investigated so far. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate techniques that can be applied in the field of culture and art. A selection of 65 synthetic dyestuffs was chosen to investigate the usefulness of the analytical techniques applied. As a case study three embroideries designed by the well-known 19th century French painter Emile Bernard, were investigated to obtain more information about the use and behaviour of synthetic dyes.