Two Byzantine Albanian icons: a non-destructive archaeometric study

Abstract

The present work is part of a project aimed at studying the pigments and painting techniques used by Albanian iconographers to produce Byzantine and post- Byzantine icons dating from the fourteenth to the nineteenth centuries; the state of conservation of these icons was also explored. Inorganic pigments are identified by means of X-ray fluorescence, reflectance spectrophotometry and UV fluorescence analysis. These analysis techniques were performed to discriminate between pigments on the basis of their typical features. Moreover, the study of the optical properties of paintings is of fundamental importance for correct restoration. This work enabled us to recognise the palette used in two artworks by anonymous painters of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. Only three small samples were taken from the edge and the back of the wooden tables in order to achieve information on preparatory layers. Twelve to fourteen non-destructive measurements were made to characterise the palette used by the two anonymous painters

X-Ray Diffraction in Cultural Heritage and Archaeology Studies

“…In Figure 2 an example of its preparation is shown, where Si powder was used as standard for correct the X-ray diffraction lines of two different corrosion products. A data base for the main corrosion products of bronze was developed, particularly useful for a secure and rapid evaluation in the study of archaeological bronzes [27]. Figure 3 shows the comparison between the X-ray diffraction patterns of two common corrosion products of the bronze statues exposed to a marine environment, atacamite and paratacamite, with the same chemical formula, Cu 2 Cl(OH) 3 .…”

Application of a Portable XRF Spectrometer for <i>In-Situ</i> and Nondestructive Investigation of Pigments in Two 15th Century Icons

“…The reconstruction of the palette of old painters will provide useful information to restorers and art historians. While, there have been a number of studies on the materials used in various post-Byzantine icons in Albania [3] [4] [5] [6] the information regarding the materials utilized by the icon painters of 13-15 th centuries are scarce [7] [8].…”

Investigation of the Cross-Section Stratifications of Icons Using Micro-Raman and Micro-Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) Spectroscopy

“…In the last two decades, some icons have been investigated using spectroscopic and chromatographic techniques revealing the painting techniques and the related materials. 1–21 However, these are too few investigations considering: (1) the long and major impact of the icons on cultural heritage; and (2) the complexity of the icon objects which are composed of different materials placed on multilayer stratifications.…”