reflectography

English

Etymology

From reflect +‎ -o- +‎ -graphy.

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɒɡɹəfi

Noun

reflectography (uncountable)

1. An infrared technique used by art historians to detect layers beneath the top surface of a painting and thus determine whether it is an original.
   • 2008 June 8, J. D. Biersdorfer, “What Lies Beneath Can Tell Another Tale”, in New York Times‎^[1]:

     IF a picture is worth the proverbial thousand words, taking a peek under the paint using infrared reflectography surely adds a few thousand more — especially when it comes to a work as detailed as the enormous 15th-century altarpiece from the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Ascension in Ciudad Rodrigo, Spain.