Laser technology used to authenticate painting ‘signed by Leonardo Da Vinci’

• Scientists at Uppsala University have used laser technology to examine a Renaissance-era painting depicting Roman Emperor Domitian that bears the signature "L daVinci".
• First auctioned in 1928 as a work by Titian, the artwork was later found to feature a faint signature reading "L daVinci pinxit".
• Chemical analysis identified 13 pigments, 12 of which were traditionally used during the Middle Ages and Renaissance.
• The presence of Prussian blue, an 18th-century pigment, is believed to be the result of later restoration rather than proof of forgery.
• Researchers state that material science techniques will become an increasingly viable tool to check the authenticity of historic artworks.

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Scientists use lasers to test whether painting ‘signed by Leonardo Da Vinci’ is genuine