Abstract
Analytical investigations were aimed at providing the wall painting conservator with information related to the painting materials’ constitution with particular reference to the identification of binding media, pigments and lime, and cement covering applied on the occasion of previous restoration interventions. Elemental, molecular spectroscopic (μFTIR, μRaman), and immunochemical methods applied directly on the paint cross-sections were used to characterize and spatially locate each paint component.
A multivariate approach has been used to treat statistically the whole set of scientific data, allowing an efficient stratigraphic chemical map**-imaging of both original and restoration materials.
In particular, calcium carbonate has been identified as the pigments’ binder, without any trace of an oily binding medium, indicating the possible use of both a fresco or a lime-wash painting technique. Interestingly, the presence of Caput mortuum, a highly prized form of red hematite (Fe2O3) which provides a deep purple color to red ochres in Byzantine hagiography, has been identified.
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Mazzeo, R., Sciutto, G., Bonacini, I., Prati, S. (2017). Scientific Examinations of the Armenian Church Wall Paintings in Famagusta. In: Walsh, M. (eds) The Armenian Church of Famagusta and the Complexity of Cypriot Heritage. Mediterranean Perspectives. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-48502-7_13
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-48502-7_13
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