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Restoring France’s priceless artifacts is delicate and painstaking work, but now experts at the Louvre in Paris are using the same lasers used by top dermatologists to rejuvenate skin. Conservators at the world-famous museum say the lasers are now an essential tool, and they’re giving us a rare look inside their laboratories.
The restoration is carried out by experts at the Centre for Research and Restoration of the Museums of France (C2RMF). Cleaning sculptures takes months, but it would have taken much longer if the technicians did not have access to the latest laser technology. They are the same advanced lasers that are used on human skin in cosmetic procedures, and they’ve been funded by the French cosmetics giant L’Oréal.
Delphine Kerob, dermatologist and Scientific Director of La Roche-Posay at L’Oréal, says lasers such as the Infinito and Erbium lasers being used by the technician here are the same ones used for delicate skincare.
Curator Laetitia Barragué-Zouita says there is a fine balance between deep cleaning and conserving as much as possible of the artifacts. She says, “For us, it is extremely important because in the sculpture field, many pieces we have to restore were displayed outdoors and have black crust or thick grime on the surface. And sometimes, the limestone is more fragile than the black crusts. And we have to find a way to clean them up without damaging the original material. And a laser, which has only thermal and mechanical action, helps us not to damage the original surface. So it’s a lifesaver, in fact, for us.”
Barragué-Zouita says the technology has helped them get through painstaking and delicate work far quicker than they would with other methods.
She says the technology “helps us to operate on a wider range of materials. But also to work faster because, particularly with the Infinito laser, it is more powerful. It is very helpful when we have thick black crust or grime, and it helps the workshop to be more efficient for the museums.”
This article was provided by The Associated Press.