Skip Palenik Interview on Role of Microscopy in Modern Art Analysis

Today (05 April 2023), the Chicago Tribune published an article entitled, “A Winnetka man spent years trying to prove he had found a Raphael painting. Was he right?” In the piece, Microtrace founder Skip Palenik is interviewed about the role of microscopy and microchemistry in modern art analysis and authentication.

Museums, conservators, auction houses, dealers, and private holders have trusted Microtrace to collect and analyze samples from paintings attributed to artists including Monet, Picasso, Constable, Dali, and Kandinsky. Our objective, scientific analyses offer a unique approach to artistic investigations that provide factual information that may clarify controversial or disputed works. Through these analyses, Microtrace scientists have developed skills in working with delicate materials, identifying them, and interpreting the significance of the results in light of the circumstances of a given item.

In the Tribune article, Palenik states “I’ve been called to look at all kinds of cases over the years, but the common thread is using microscopes to look at things… The problems of proof have become more rigorous today. I still use light microscopy and microchemistry, exactly the way Walter [McCrone] did. We’ve just taken it further… We try and set people straight when we can, but what they do with the information, in the end, is up to them.”