The method involves direct two-dimensional imaging of an inhomogeneous surface by analyzing one or more of the Raman bands characteristic of a given component on the surface. It offers intriguing further opportunities for the study of very small (approximately 1 mm2) areas of artwork on stamps, maps, and writing (so as to be able to follow iron gall ink diffusion, paper damage, etc.), and in many other fields (e.g., that of identification of the precise whereabouts and proportions of active ingredients in pharmaceutical tablets).