Katherine T. Faber - Watching Paint Dry and Colors Fade: The Intersection of Art and Science

Mysteries regarding museum objects have captured the imaginations of engineers and scientists alike. Chemists have brought new analytical tools to discern especially hard-to-identify pigments, which has helped explain why a dramatic sky disappeared from Winslow Homer's For to Be a Farmer's Boy. Materials scientists have unearthed the sources of color in ancient Chinese jades. Environmental engineers have uncovered the reasons behind the faded brilliance of Georges-Pierre Seurat's A Sunday on La Grande Jatte.

Faber will examine the science behind these and other object-based studies and discuss the links between science, engineering, and art, which build bridges between universities and museums.

Katherine T. Faber is Simon Ramo Professor of Materials Science at Caltech.

Presented by: Caltech Committee on Institute Programs