Why synthetic emerald-green pigments degrade over time

Perhaps most relevant to this current paper is a 2020 study in which scientists analyzed Edvard Munch’s The Scream, which was showing alarming signs of degradation. They concluded the damage was not the result of exposure to light, but humidity—specifically, from the breath of museum visitors, perhaps as they lean in to take a closer look at the master’s brushstrokes.

Let there be (X-ray) light

Co-author Letizia Monico during the…