Henry DePhillips

Henry DePhillips serves as Vernon Krieble Professor of Chemistry Emeritus at Trinity College, where he has transformed the intersection of chemistry and art conservation. His academic foundation includes a B.S. from Fordham University and a Ph.D. from Northwestern University. His career took a pivotal turn in 1986 when he shifted from analyzing marine proteins to the microscopic analysis of artistic materials. He works primarily with the Wadsworth Atheneum, Yale University Art Gallery, and Yale Center for British Art, specializing in the analysis of materials from various art media including paintings, ceramics, metal, cloth, and wood. His notable projects include authentication studies of sixteenth-century Italian cartoons and composition analysis of twenty-two bronze Greek statues, as well as projects in Herculaneum and artifacts from Korea and China. Each summer, he teaches conservation science in Rome, Italy, involving visits to ongoing conservation sites. His expertise in analyzing microscopic paint samples helps identify pigment origins, dating periods, and authentication of artworks, while also guiding restoration efforts. Through his work at Trinity College and various conservation laboratories, he continues to advance the field of art conservation while bridging the gap between scientific analysis and artistic preservation.