Distinguished Scientist Award – Awardees

Professor Koen Janssens is a globally recognized leader in the field of cultural heritage and has had a decisive impact on shaping the discipline of heritage science.  He is widely credited with transforming chemistry for cultural heritage into a mature, internationally respected discipline by bridging the gap between advanced chemical physics and the study of historical artworks.

Professor Janssens’s career is defined by the development of non-destructive analytical methods that allow scientists to “see” through layers of paint without touching the object. He reshaped art analysis by introducing macroscopic X-ray fluorescence and X-ray diffraction imaging, which allows for comprehensive chemical mapping of entire artworks. By visualizing chemical and crystaline information across entire artworks, conservators can make more informed assessments of an object’s condition, materials, and manufacturing processes, directly influencing conservation strategies and treatment decisions. 

Professor Jansses has collaborated in project of high-impact including Operation Night Watch (Rembrandt), research on Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring, and the Ghent Altarpiece. His research has also had direct policy implications for museums. A notable example is his chemical investigation of the darkening of chrome yellow in Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, which led the museum to revise its gallery lighting conditions, now adopted as their new light standard.

In the synchrotron radiation domain, Janssens’s sustained efforts have enabled broad access for cultural heritage researchers leading to the establishment of a dedicated Block Allocation Group (BAG) for heritage studies at the ESRF.