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Page 1: e-Conservation Magazine • 6

the online magazine No. 6, September 2008

e_conservation

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the online magazine

conservation

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The Thin Red Line

One of the first things that we are taught about Conservation is that it is interdisciplinary. From archaeology to physics, from biology to dendrochronology, virtually all fields of knowledge can have some application in the study of works of art. However, it is ironic that one of the most basic notions that define our profession – interdisciplinarity - may also endanger it.Indeed, sometimes our profession seems to be somehow in danger due to 'indefinition'.I do not mean to say that it is undefined – so much has been written about it by many international organisations, such as E.C.C.O., ICOM-CC, etc. – but that we are still strug-gling so that others recognise us as we see ourselves.It is a fact that our field is quite new when compared with others (i.e. archaeology) and in the eyes of the general public we are still often seen as something mysterious and full of old well-kept secrets. I should know because it was precisely that image which first attracted me to conservation when I was younger.However public recognition should come from both the general public and other professionals. For example, it is known that in many European countries with Latin-based languages, cura-tors are often called conservators. This simple fact has brought about for a long time a struggle between curators and conservators for this title and even for some of their attributions within the museum.In the same way, conservation science is a field that has been emerging only since a few decades ago. No doubt conservation scientists have been developing a very important role in the safeguarding of our heritage. However, the massification of this new specialisation, now also taught in universities, requires a re-definition of heritage-related professions, and implicitly of ours, so everyone can act like the professional that he or she has been trained to be without running over one another's competences. Indeed, as Salvador Muñoz-Viñas emphasises in his interview for our magazine (pp. 20), science "helps conservators to have more data, to be more informed [but] it should not substitute or replace ethics".What really defines us, the conservators, is our decision-making capacity. This is not only based on ethical principles or material knowledge, but on a combination of many different factors. However this main defining-factor is what distinguishes a conservator from a tech-nician or from other professionals who work within the field of safeguarding or maintenance of cultural heritage.At the moment conservation science is still a young field and understandably it is professed not only by trained conservation-scientists but also by scientists with an interest in art. Many essential research projects have been developed to ensure the advancement in the field, but we should be careful, however, not to transform cultural heritage into a mere economic research factor.The fact is that if we look at the scientific literature that is being produced we may reach the conclusion that we conservators are publishing lesser than we should and that some papers produced by scientists are of limited interest or little use for conservators. Fortunately, this is not the case of the majority of publications but conservators might soon face the problem that most of the specialised literature in our field is written by non-conservators. Thus, it is my belief that conservators need an attitude change towards pub-lishing as sharing inside specialist knowledge is essential for our field.

Rui Bordalo,Executive Editor

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NEWS 6

37

ARTICLES

CASE STUDY 56

78BOOK REVIEW

20INTERVIEW

CONFERENCE REVIEW

Colours 2008,

Bridging Science with Art

10-12 July 2008, Évora, Portugal

Review by Rui Bordalo

2008 WORKSITES

The Conservation of the Mural Paintings from

St. George Church, Voronet Monastery

By Anca Dina

ANNOUNCEMENTS

UPCOMING EVENTS

September - October 2008

SALVADOR MUÑOZ-VIÑAS

New Horizons for Conservation Thinking

Interview by Christabel Blackman

CARE OF COLLECTIONS

Are Libraries Effectively Monitoring

the Condition of their Microfilm Collections?

By James Gross

CONSERVATION OF PAINTINGS

Conservation of a Greek Icon.

Technological and Methodological Aspects

By Maria Avillez and Chryssa Vourvopoulou

RED MAITREYA TEMPLE - LEH, LADAKH

Mural Conservation Project (Part 1)

- A Tibet Heritage Fund Project

By Anca Nicolaescu and André Alexander

Mural Painting in the North of Moldavia.

Aesthetic Modification and Restoration

By Anca Dina

EVENTS

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INDEX

14

17

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Colour 2008 aimed "to approach colours

from different perspectives: physics,

chemistry, history, geology, archaeology,

psychology, religiosity, symbolism

and Conservation-Restoration".

COLOURS 2008Bridging Science with Art

10-12 July 2008Évora, Portugal

Colégio do Espírito SantoUniversity of Évora

www.ciul.ul.pt/colour/

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The historical city of Évora was the host of the

first conference "Colours 2008 - Bridging Science

with Art", which took place from last 10th to 12th

July at the auditorium of the local university.

Évora was especially chosen not only because it is

listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, but also

because of the region’s traditional architecture

and its close connection with colour.

It was really all about colours. The conference

was specifically planned to gather professionals

from the most various disciplines that involve

the study of colour – from art conservation to

chemistry, archaeology and architecture – and

to discuss their research and work. The

conference also included a poster display.

The interesting topics of discussion, the numerous

audience from Portugal, Spain and other European

countries and the scientific and social environ-

ment made this experience a very enjoyable one.

During this 3-days conference a total of 35 pre-

sentations were made, including 5 lecturers by

invited speakers at the beginning of each session.

Most presentations were in English with only few

exceptions such as the one of Eduardo Nery, an

established Portuguese artist specialised in

decoration of public spaces. His presentation

focused on the importance of colour in the city.

The artist gave several examples of his work, from

colourful tiles in buildings to decoration of un-

usual objects, such as an aeroplane.

A special addition to the event was the multi-

media presentation on the research project

presented by Milene Gil, Ana Isabel Seruya and

José Aguiar from the New University of Lisbon

(UNL) and the Technical University of Lisbon

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CONFERENCE REVIEW

Opening session. From left to right: Ana Isabel Seruya (FCT/ UNL), Isabel Raposo Magalhães (IMC Vice-director); Peter Carrot (Director of Évora University Chemistry Center); José A.C. Nascimento (Regional Director of Culture) and Ana M. Freitas Drumond Ludovice (Évora University Vice-Rector).

(UTL), respectively. This exhaustive project focused

on the study of colours, materials and painting

techniques of traditional buildings of Alentejo

region. The original presentation consisted in a

motion picture of the research following the TV

documentary style, which was an interesting

and appealing form to present scientific work

to the public.

Remarkable was the presentation of Geert van

der Snickt, from the University of Antwerp, who

presented a study of a hidden painting by Van

Gogh. The portrait was first seen in radiographies

taken to the painting although the quality of the

image was not good enough for a visual analysis.

His research team used synchrotron X-Ray Fluores-

cence spectroscopy to perform elemental analysis

to the paint layers and revealed the hidden portrait

from beneath a landscape that the artist painted

over. This result was achieved by creating an image

pixel by pixel from each analysis. This technique

requires an intensive use of a synchrotron facility,

which is not easy to access, and thus the use of such

technology is far from being widespread. Neverthe-

less, the high quality of the image obtained and

the usefulness of the technique applied to works

of art is impressive.

The scientific paper titled "Visualization of a Lost

Painting by Vincent van Gogh Using Synchrotron

Radiation Based X-ray Fluorescence Elemental

Mapping" by Joris Dik, Koen Janssens, Geert Van

Der Snickt, Luuk van der Loeff, Karen Rickers,

and Marine Cotte is available online in the journal

Analytical Chemistry.

Other lectures were made by invited speakers:

Marco Zerbinatti, who approached the relationship

between colour, architecture and preservation;

Francisco Ferreira, who made a review of the

principles and techniques of spectral imaging

systems in paintings; and Patrícia Monteiro, who

has been studying the pigments mentioned in

Portuguese art treatises.

A presentation that made me think on the large

access to technology that we have nowadays and

the need to apply known solutions to conservation

purposes was made by Luís Bravo Pereira. This

researcher from the Portuguese Catholic Univer-

sity (UCP) introduced the audience to the appli-

cation of high dynamic range to radiographies

digitalisation. These are characterised by areas

of different density that require different light

intensities in order to maximise the images read-

Marco Zerbinatti, researcher (Polytechnic Institute of Turin, Italy) presenting “Physical Polichromy, Architectural and Environment Color”.

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Carolina Barata, conservator-restorer from the Catholic Portuguese University, presenting "A rare pigment in an unexpected place: realgar in Portuguese Baroque sculpture with non-erudite features."

CONFERENCE REVIEW

ability. The explained process uses different

levels of exposure of common digital cameras

and commercial imaging software to merge

pictures. The result is a digital homogeneous

image where highlights and details are visible

and easy to analyse.

Among many other interesting presentations, it

is worth mentioning some of special relevance

such as the one of José Pestana and Sara Valadas

about the recent conservation intervention per-

formed on the wall paintings of the Convent of

the Order of Christ in Tomar (Portugal), listed as

World Heritage by UNESCO.

PhD candidates had also a strong presence showing

active research in conservation. Among these

we can mention, for example, the presentation

of Leonor Loureiro, a PhD candidate at the Uni-

versity of the Arts (London), who is researching

19th century coated papers; Sónia Barros dos

Santos, PhD candidate at UCP, who is studying the

introduction of new pigments in Portugal in the

19th century; and Ana Cudell, PhD candidate at

UCP, who is characterising the technique and mate-

rials from Júlio Pomar, a well-known Portuguese

20th century painter.

From the organisation committee, Milene Gil has

shared her experience and personal opinion

about this event: speaking about colour is one of

the most complex and hard task that exist, that

is why it is also a challenge. As Lars Sivik (1997)

wrote using S. Augustine’s sentence about time:

"Everybody knows what time is - until you ask him

Frederico Henriques, conservator-restorer, PhD candidate from the Catholic Portuguese University, presenting "Photogrametric methods applied to easel paintings".

Dr. Luisa de Carvalho, Chair (FCT/UNL, Organising committee), and Prof. Maria Ondina Figueiredo (FCT/UNL) presenting “Colouring by Iron in Beryl”

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Group photo of Colours 2008 participants.

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CONFERENCE REVIEW

to explain what it is. It is the same with color".

Each discipline interprets and explains differently

what is, in the end, a visual sensation. So for fully

understanding its multidisciplinary nature, what

best than a seminar which unites several branches

of knowledge?

That was the main objective of Colours 2008: the

gathering of experts dealing with colour and espe-

cially colour studies and treatments in Conservation

and Restoration of cultural heritage.

Final conclusions? Personally, as a mural painting

conservator, I was extremely glad to notice that

the gap that sometimes is felt between science and

art, between conservators-restorers and scientific

researchers, is being successfully overcome.

As a member of the organising committee and a

team member of the FCT project (Historical Colour

Traditions and Pigments on Mural Paintings:

Materials and Technology Characterization of the

Alentejo Urban Heritage - POCI/HEC/59555/2004)

that have promoted this initiative, I congratulate

once again all the participants and I wish that what

began in France in 2006 with 'Couleur & Temps' and

now in Portugal with Colours 2008 shall continue

next year and further on.

Conference papers can be submitted for publica-

tion in X-Ray Spectrometry, Pedra& Cal, Conservar

Património - the journal of ARP, the Portuguese

Association of Conservator-Restorers – and

possibly in ARTIS - the magazine of the Institute

of Art History of the Faculty of Letters of the

University of Lisbon.

Review by Rui Bordalo

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NEWS

2008 WORKSITEThe Conservation of the Mural Paintings fromSt. George Church, Voronet Monastery

Worksite Coordination: Oliviu Boldura,

conservator-restorer, CERECS ART S.R.L.

Intervention period: 1999 - 2008

(summer campaigns)

The Last Judgment from Voronet, painted on thewestern facade.

A first contact with St. George Church of Voronet

Monastery, possibly the most famous church in

Romania, leads us to the legend created around

the 'unusual' blue pigment1 used for the exterior

mural decoration. The monument is known for its

well-preserved exterior frescoes on azurite back-

ground but in fact, the church has won its fame

for the historical and aesthetic value of its entire

singular, 15th century mural decoration. Erected

in the year 14882 by Prince Stephen the Great,

the church was built in less than four months3

and was painted inside and partly outside on the

western facade4 in the same period. In 1547,

the Metropolitan Bishop of Moldavia, Grigorie

Rosca, added an exonarthex to the west end of

the church which was painted together with all

the exterior facades, in the spirit imposed by

trends cultivated by voivode Petru Rares.

The a fresco mural paintings have met historical

events for more than five centuries and, as time

went by, environmental factors or human actions

have left their fingerprint on this UNESCO World

Heritage monument.

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NEWS

The progressive degradation of the mural paint-

ings required intervention, so that in 1980 the

conservation process began with the emergency

intervention on the exterior frescoes under the

direction of Tatiana Pogonat and Oliviu Boldura,

wall painting conservators. At this point, some

previous interventions were already made, such

as the repair with mortar of the support lacunas,

but the year 1980 marks the beginning of the first

documented intervention of conservation-resto-

ration on the mural painting from Voronet. As of

this moment, the treatment included the colour

layer reattachment, the removal of biological de-

terioration agents from the north facade, the

consolidation of the support layer, the removal

of various inadequate mortars in terms of material

aesthetics and the aesthetic integration. The

intervention on the exterior painting ended in

1987 and then resumed for the dome of the church

in a single campaign in the summer of 2003.

The state of the naos painting, west wall, before conservation.

Naos painting, north wall, after conservation.

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Text by Anca Dina

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NEWS

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The conservation process of this monument im-

posed along the years a complex methodological

approach continually sustained by responsible

scientific research. The project was based on an

interdisciplinary collaboration between conser-

vators, scientists, art historians and other spe-

cialists in cultural heritage.

For the inside mural painting, the conservation

works began in 1999 with similar operations but

the methodology was adapted to meet the de-

mands of a painting covered by a consistent layer

of deposits. Of course, this brief listing of major

operations can not include the complexity of the

problems encountered. The works took place in

several phases5, having begun in the central nave

and continuing in altar, narthex and exonarthex.

This year (2008) the intervention of conservation-

restoration on the inside mural painting6 is to be

finalised. This matches the celebration ceremony

of 520 years of existence of the church, and with

this opportunity, the churchdom is organising

between 12 and 13 September a communication

session titled "Testimonies of living history"7

followed by the re-consecration of the church

on Sunday, 14th September.

An important aspect that should be taken into

consideration is that the exterior painting, restored

more than 20 years ago, already presents primary

signs of degradation, such as the pulverulence

and detachement of the colour layer, which urge

the re-intervention on some areas. A monument

of Voronet value, particularly important for na-

tional identity and cultural heritage, is considered

to require permanent assistance, monitoring and

preventive conservation so that these incipient

forms of degradations will not evolve.

1 The blue used for the painting of Voronet was identified by the chemist engineer Ioan Istudor as being azurite (Basic copper-carbonate) that transformed into malachite due to humidity action, in Ioan Istudor, 'Un fenomen de denaturare a culorilor in pictura murala de la Voronet', Revista muzeelor si monumentelor. Monumente istorice si de arta, no. 1, Bucharest, 1965, pp. 65-66.

2 Gheorghe Bals, 'Bisericile lui Stefan cel Mare', Buletinul Comisiei Monumentelor Istorice, 1925.

3 The information is given by the inscription placed above the original entrance of the Church, now the exonarthex.

4 Oliviu Boldura, 'Elemente complementare privind pictura de la biserica manastirii Voronet', R.M.I. year LXXVI, no. 1-2/2007

5 Due to low temperatures on extended periods - cca. eight months per year - the conservation intervention can only be carried out during the summer.

6 The general conservation of the assembly required important interventions on the architecture, such as the restoration of the roof and of the perimetral pavement drains.

7 The communication session is only a part of organised events, others being the pilgrimage to other monuments and the opening of a permanent exhibition museum.

Notes:

The actual state of the exterior painting on the north facade from Voronet.

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Comparative images showing the original (before conservation) and actual (after conservation) aspect of the painting from the church narthex, east wall.

NEWS

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UNESCO ICOMOS Documentation Centre

As everyone should be aware by now, blogs are

websites that display news, commentaries, events,

personal thoughts, web links or other material

on a particular subject. Since 1999, blog usage

has spread and in the following years it became

a tool for sharing knowledge and communication.

We must be careful, however, when it comes to

blogs: we should distinguish between good and

poor quality ones. As blogs are the modern version

of the online diary, any individual is entitled to

freely express his/her personal beliefs.

Among the many existing blogs on the World Wide

Web, from time to time there appear some that

are not only of a really good quality but indeed

they are a valuable addition for today’s faster

needs. One of them, and we exclusively refer to

cultural heritage related issues, is the recent

"UNESCO ICOMOS Documentation Centre" blog.

Started in June 2008, the blog has succeeded

to meet both the professional seriousness and

friendly approach required for effectiveness

in our domain. Focused on documentation for

world heritage, the blog defines itself as "spe-

cialized in the built heritage, its conservation

and restoration, historic monuments and sites,

archaeology, architectural heritage, [and] world

heritage". It offers latest news, information

NEW BLOGabout publications and events and a database

of links organised by keywords that can be book-

marked and further shared on Delicious1. An

extra feature is the ability for readers to leave

comments in an interactive format.

News and events, displayed in reverse chrono-

logical order, are listed as short announcements

and are followed by links to the organisers' home-

page. These are normally organisations such as

Getty, ICCROM, UNESCO and ICOMOS, but there

are also announcements about free publications

available to download, such as journals, maga-

zines, books, conference papers and bulletins,

among others.

What is remarkable about this initiative is that

prestigious organisation such as UNESCO and

ICOMOS take advantage of this new format of

communication in order to interact with the

public. Hence, we advice you to visit this weblog

as you will certainly find it useful and you will

probably return there each time you need a fast

way to bring yourself up to date. But you should

be aware, even if it might seem a simple webpage,

this blog is a crossroads of many other useful

pages that will keep your interest "online" for

more than you expected.

UNESCO ICOMOSDocumentation

Centre

1 Delicious (http://www.delicious.com) - is one of the most popular social bookmarking website for saving and sharing webpages.

www.icomosdocumentationcentre.blogspot.com

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The News section is publishing the most diverse

information on cultural heritage topics, such as

on-site conservation projects reports,

conferences, lectures, talks or workshops

reviews, but also course reviews and any other

kind of appropriate announcements. If you are

involved in interesting projects and you want to

share your experience with everybody else,

please send us your news or announcements.

For more details, such as deadlines and

publication guidelines, please visit

www.e-conservationline.com

NEWS

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e-conservationline website

e-conservationline is going to focus its next

efforts on the development of the website Links

section.

We want you to help us achieving one of the most

useful databases of links related to cultural

heritage so everyone can profit from it.

What we need:

- Websites dedicated to specialist and general

knowledge in the field;

- Websites that disseminate conservation news,

events, projects, etc...;

- Websites that offer free publications,

documentation and other materials relevant

for conservators;

- Conservation forums of discussion, national

or international;

…and anything else that you find useful and

you consider others will also appreciate.

What we don’t need:

- Websites with links to other websites;

- Profile pages for individuals or enterprises;

- Commercial websites;

Send your suggestions using our form or simply

email them to [email protected]

Thank you for helping us improve

e-conservationline!

CALL FOR LINKS

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We accept submissions in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and Romanian, acceptam articole în Engleza, Spaniola, Portugheza, Italiana si Româna, aceptamos artículos en Inglés, Francés, Español, Portugués, Italiano y Rumano, nous acceptons des articles en Anglais, Français, Espagnol, Portugais, Italien et Roumain, accettiamo articoli in Inglese, Francese, Spagnolo, Portoghese, Italiano e Rumeno, aceitamos artigos en Inglês, Francês, Espanhol, Português, Italiano e Romeno.

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11th International Conference on Accelerator Mass Spectrometry

Digital Integrated Technologies Applied to Cultural Heritage

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The Digital Curation of Cultural Heritage

Date: 15-18 September Read more...

Place: Athens, Greece

The focus of CIDOC 2008 on the digital curation

of cultural heritage will allow curators, collection

managers, documentalists, archivists and museum

information specialists to explore a broad range

of theoretical, methodological, professional

practice and technological issuers related to the

appraisal, digitisation, management, represen-

tation, access and use of digital cultural assets,

such as those increasingly becoming part of

museum information systems and digital archives.

IIC Round Table on Climate Change and Museum Collections

Date: 17 September Read more...

Place: London, UK

The threats that come with climate change do not

just exist in the outdoor environment. The delicate

and fragile treasures within our museums are also

susceptible. Museum and house collections that

may not have previously required environmental

control may soon require such efforts to meet

their preservation responsibilities. To remain

effective the maintenance plans will require

adaptation to our changing climate.

IIC Congress 2008 - Conservation and Access

Date: 15-19 September Read more...

Place: London, UK

Enabling people to access and enjoy art and heritage is

the aim of this congress. The programme will examine the

central role of conservation in the presentation and pro-

tection of the world's cultural heritage. It will explore the

ways that heritage professionals engage in this sharing

worldwide, whether that involves people going to see

that heritage or the heritage itself travelling the globe.

The events in this section are linked

to the original homepage of the

organisers. In case the event does not

have an individual page, the calendar

of events will open at

www.conservationevents.com.

Click on "Read more..." to find out

more details about each event.

Date: 14-19 September Read more...

Place: Rome, Italy

It is the most important conference that brings together

scientists to discuss recent progress, applications and

future trends of accelerator based isotope techniques

for studies in Archaeology, Nuclear Physics and Astro-

physics, Cosmogeochemistry, Biomedical Sciences,

Environment, Geology, Hydrology, Ocean Sciences,

and Nuclear Safeguards.

From data acquisition to the communication through virtual reality systems

Date: 15-26 September Read more...

Place: Rome, Italy

The course will follow a 'from-the-beginning-to-final-

result' approach, providing both theory and practice

on the field and in the lab, and will regard the use of

advanced methodologies and digital technologies for

documentation, communication and valorization of

Cultural Heritage.

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Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage in the Asia

Date: 29 September - 4 October Read more...

Place: Québec City, Canada

The symposium theme is "Finding the Spirit of Place",

and its subthemes are: Re-thinking, Safeguarding,

Transmitting and The Threats to the Spirit of Place.

16th General Assembly and International Scientific Symposium of ICOMOS

Pacific Region 2008: research, analysis and preser-vation of archaeological sites

Date: 9 September – 9 October Read more...

Place: Nara, Japan

In Asia and the Pacific region, there are various forms of

cultural heritage which are of great value from a global

point of view. Proper investigation, analysis, preservation

and development of these sites and remains are required

of heritage professionals, in order to ensure that this

important cultural heritage is safeguarded for future

generations. This training course aims to provide partici-

pants with the latest methodologies and technologies

for investigation, conservation and management of

archaeological sites.

27th Meeting of Dyes in History and Archaeology

Date: 8-11 October Read more...

Place: Istanbul, Turkey

The 27th Meeting of Dyes in History and Archaeology,

including a welcome reception, a gala diner, an extra

diner and post conference visits to museums will take

place from the 8th till 11th October 2008 in Istanbul,

Turkey. The oral and poster sessions will be held at the

Marmara University Rectorate Building Conference Hall

in Sultanahmet, on the 9th and 10th October 2008. The

meeting will be jointly organised by the Marmara

University.

14th International Symposium on Biodeterioration and Biodegradation

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Historical Mortars Conference

Date: 24-26 September Read more...

Place: Lisbon, Portugal

The conference is based in four main themes, related

with the central aims of 4 research projects:

- Characterization of historical mortars

- Decay and diagnosis of historic masonry structures

- History, protection and conservation of historical

renders and plasters

- Design of compatible repair mortars

Connecting the past to the future11th AICCM Paintings Group Symposium

Date: 9-10 October Read more...

Place: Melbourne, Australia

This symposium will bring together contributions focused

on a single theme – reflections on the past, present and

future of the paintings conservation profession in

Australia. It will aim to survey how the profession has

developed in this country, reflect on where we have made

our strongest contributions to the field and discuss

where (and how) we would like to aim for the future.

Date: 6-11 October Read more...

Place: Messina, Italy

The IBBS-14 Symposium is dedicated to different topics

dealing with biodeterioration and biodegradation of

organic and inorganic materials including cultural

heritage objects, medical devices, corrosion of metals

and other applied aspects such as hydrocarbons and

pollutants biodegradation and techniques applied to

the study of microorganisms involved in these processes.

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EITEC 2008

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Conservation of Tracing Paper

Date: 16-17 October 2008 Read more...

Place: Berlin, Germany

The workshop contains the introduction to manufacture

processes of transparent paper and their influence on

the dimensional stability of these papers as well as the

demonstration and discussion of various treatment

techniques. The main focus of the seminar is to gain an

understanding of the several treatment techniques

through hands-on working on originals and dummies.

Art Conservation Symposium: XRF (X-Ray Fluorescence)

Date: 18 October Read more...

Place: Houston, USA

In order to obtain the knowledge to properly conserve

photographs which have experienced deterioration, con-

servators must be able to identify the imaging and toning

materials before a treatment process can be outlined

and implemented. Thanks to XRF, many photographs in

the museum's collection which previously could not be

completely identified to inform conservation treatment

are now undergoing systematic restoration treatment.

10th Conference of the International Committee for the Conservation of Mosaics (ICCM)

Date: 20-26 October Read more...

Place: Palermo, Italy

It aims to stress how through a systematic and full

documentation during the process of conservation, one

has the occasion to make observations that deepen

one’s understanding of a mosaic, the technique or

techniques involved in its execution, the archaeological

context in which it was found and the historical

vicissitudes it has experienced.

Synchrotron Radiation in Art and Archaeology

Date: 22-24 October Read more...

Place: Barcelone, Spain

The purpose of the workshop is to discuss and explore

the current and potential applications of synchrotron

science to problems in Archaeology and Art conservation.

Bringing together key members of the synchrotron

community and experts in the disciplines of Archaeology,

Archaeological Science, Art Conservation and Materials

Science, the interdisciplinary workshop will report their

latest research accomplishments, highlight ongoing

projects, and catalyse new interactions between these

fields.

Octo

ber 2

008

Date: 23-24 October Read more...

Place: Porto, Portugal

The Department of Heritage Studies of the Faculty of Letters

of the University of Porto, the Welding and Quality Institute

and the companies Sistemas do Futuro (Multimedia, Gestão

e Arte, Lda.) and Conservar-Inovar (Conservação e Restauro

de Bens Patrimoniais, Lda.) are promoting the 3rd edition

of EITEC – Encontro Internacional de Tecnologias Aplicadas

à Museologia, Conservação e Restauro (International

Meeting of Applied Technologies to Museology, Conservation

and Restoration). During the two days, the participants will

be able to attend presentations of invited speakers from

Portugal and foreign countries. The program includes

Portuguese speakers such as António Portugal from Univer-

sity of Coimbra who will present a case study of fungi in

historical documents and José Nero from Instituto Superior

Técnico who will discuss the conservation and rehabilitation

of built heritage, among others. Among the foreign partici-

pants, Hans-Christoph von Imhoff will discuss the evolution

of conservation-restoration field since Second World War

and Piero Baglioni from the University of Florence will talk

about nanomagnetic gels.

EVENTS

19e_conservation

Page 20: e-Conservation Magazine • 6

SALVADOR MUÑOZ-VIÑASin

terv

iew

Salvador Muñoz-Viñas was born in Valencia

in 1963. He holds degrees in both Fine

Arts and Art History. After working as

a conservator at the Historical Library

of the Universitat de València, he became

a young member of staff at the newly-

created Department of Conservation at

the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia.

In the late 80s and early 90s, he obtained

several scholarships including the Luis

de Santangel research prize which enabled

him to visit the Center for Conservation

and Technical Studies at Harvard Univer-

sity (presently known as Straus Center

for Conservation), where he carried out

research as a visiting scholar.

New Horizons for Conservation Thinking

In 1991, Muñoz-Viñas presented his PhD., partially based on research made at

Harvard, a technical analysis of Italian Renaissance manuscripts which was sub-

sequently published by Harvard and the UPV. In those years, Muñoz-Viñas taught

both Paper Conservation and the History of Paintings Techniques at the UPV,

however in 1999, he was obliged to choose a single subject, and opted for Paper

Conservation. At that time, he was already beginning to analyze the prevalent

('classical') tenets of conservation theory. Following some rather tentative,

short articles on the topic, the book 'Teoría contemporánea de la Restauración'

was published in 2003. Soon after that he began writing 'Contemporary Theory

of Conservation', which was published late in 2004. Salvador Muñoz-Viñas became

Professor (Catedrático) in 2000 and presently, works both on conservation theory

and on paper conservation techniques.

Interviewed by Christabel Blackman, 7th June, 2008

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A visit to Salvador Muñoz-Viñas’ work place is a

discovery akin to an explorers encounter with a

long sought-after treasure. The Arts and Conser-

vation building of the UPV is circular and reaches

out its architectural enveloping arms like St. Peters

forecourt, to snuggle in the rasta-haired arts

students along with the white cloaked conservation

researchers. Professor Muñoz-Viñas' chambers, his

deskroom and laboratory are dimmed and silent

compared to the harsh revealing Spanish sun and

the convivial chaotic ambience outside. Salvador

strikes one as quietly spoken, a listener rather

than a dogmatic teacher; elegant and thoughtful,

perhaps the archetype of the absent-minded

professor. He is however a stream-lined thinker,

with a terrific capacity to anchor things straight

to their axial point and definitely doesn’t waste

his words…

What drew you in to conservation as a profession?

It was not a decision that was planned long

before it became a reality. I just naturally found

myself learning, enjoying and working in it and

that was that. I studied Art History and Fine Arts,

and this was an easy and natural way to join both

together.

You worked in investigation at Harvard Univer-

sity during your formative years. How did that experience contribute to your thinking?

Looking back retrospectively, I think that that was

a really important time because I encountered

different ways to do things, different ways to ap-

proach problems, different ways to communicate

between conservation professionals and of course

there were a lot of resources available. There was

just everything I could think of, from the most

sophisticated scientific apparatus to the rarest

publication. It really changed my way of thinking

about conservation research and about knowledge.

25e_conservation

I was very lucky to be working with people who

were so open and cooperative, especially with

the then Senior Conservation Scientist Eugene

Farrell who was first a master and a teacher and

later a teacher and a friend.

What inspired you to write "Contemporary Theory of Conservation"?

I had been working in both practical conservation

and teaching for some time, often trying to tackle

ethical problems that arose when approaching con-

servation ethics in the classical way; that is by

applying classical principles, such as, reversibility,

objectivity, respect for truth, minimal intervention

and the like. However I found that these classical

principles could seldom be fully applied. In order

for them to work, you had to not abide by them

at some given moment. Sooner or later it was

necessary to discard them to enable conservation

to be reasonable and acceptable. For some years

I tried to cope with this incongruity between the-

ory and practice, between what should be and

what could be. However I couldn’t get free from

this theoretical itch. Finally I tried to put things

together and to create some coherent body of

thinking, which led me to write those books.

You introduce many new or rather outline many existing yet previously undefined concepts in the conservation field. For example, what do you refer to by sustainable conservation?

This is a notion that has been put forward by other

authors such as Sarah Staniforth and Erica Avrami.

When they spoke of sustainable conservation,

they thought about economical aspects of conser-

vation, maybe about technical aspects. I would

include those aspects in my notion of sustainable

conservation. But I mainly refer to the fact that

conservation should not limit the variety of mes-

sages that observers or scientists or scholars can

NEW HORIZONS FOR CONSERVATION THINKING

Page 22: e-Conservation Magazine • 6

Prof. Muñoz-Viñas in his deskroom at the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia.

extract from a given object. Conservation should

be sustainable in that it should not make any

reading impossible or, to be more practical, it

should maintain as many meanings of that single

object as available as possible: it should not ex-

haust the ability of an object to transmit different

messages.

Why is authenticity important in conservation?

I don’t think it is actually important, even though

many people may think it is. Authenticity, or Truth,

is important in many aspects of life, I mean, it is

a basic rule of behavior: like, 'Thou shalt not lie'.

However, in conservation we usually understand

authenticity in a very particular and peculiar way,

giving it a meaning which has nothing to do with

authenticity as we usually understand the term.

Basically, when we speak about an 'authentic'

object, or about the 'authentic' state of an object,

we are actually referring to an expected or pre-

ferred state of the object. Conservators often

alter or delete the authentic imprints of history

for the sake of 'authenticity'; the problem with

those imprints (a marred surface, a missing frag-

ment, a darkened varnish, you name it) is not

that they are not authentic, but that we do not

like them. We prefer the object to exist in a dif-

ferent state. Conservators thus modify reality

(which is undoubtedly authentic) to suit our

expectations, needs or preferences. So authen-

ticity is useful because it helps us to believe

that we are acting for some higher reasons (truth,

science, objectivity, etc.) and not that we are

simply implementing our own expectations or

preferences.

You criticize truth-based theories: does it mean that conservators 'lie'?

No. What it means is that truth is not actually

a part of the equation, or that a conservator

cannot lie just by altering an object. Altering

an object and acknowledging and documenting

that change can be hardly considered as a form

of lying. If it were so, as classical, truth-based

22 e_conservation

INTERVIEW WITH SALVADOR MUÑOZ-VIÑAS

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theories suggest, then we would have to admit

that we conservators lie all the time. Even rigattino

or similar tricks should be considered to be lies

from the point of view of classical theories: the

idea is that if we come close enough to a painting

we will be able to spot these additions, on the

other hand we would have to meticulously scan

the entire painting’s surface to be able to spot

what parts of it were not original, which is just

a very unrealistic expectancy, to say the least.

So according to classical theories we should be re-

spectful to truth but at the same time we must lie.

However, as I said before, I don’t think that truth

is all that important, because I don’t think that

we can make an object 'false'. Truth depends on

what a person believes an object to be, and not

on the object itself; the object cannot lie. We

transform the object, but it does not mean that

we are lying: we do not hide that fact but publicize

it. Whatever state an object exists in is always a

reality. I mean it is what it is. That’s the tauto-

logical argument. Truth is always there within

the object. The fact that we do not like that truth

does not mean that it is not a truth. The fact that

we do not like the state of a painting which is

burnt does not meant that the true authentic

state of that painting is not burnt. The fact that

we do not like a statue which is broken does not

mean that the true authentic state of the broken

statue is not broken. So objects always exist in

a true state. Henceforth, what makes a restora-

tion good or bad is not the fact that it abides by

truth. Truth has nothing to do with conservation

theory; we are not dealing with truth. We are

dealing with preferences. We want an object to

exist in a given state. And we tend to think that

that preferred state is the true state of the object.

But it is not, because the object always exists

in a true state. A torn piece of paper is authen-

tically torn, it is really torn. So how can we

believe that the true state of a torn piece of

paper is not torn? That does not make sense.

23e_conservation

Truth has little to do with conservation. Conser-

vation is about bringing the object to a preferred

state. We adapt objects to our preferences and

that’s it.

You say that contemporary theory of conser-

vation calls for a revolution of common sense. Are classical theories not based on common sense?

No they are not, definitely. In fact they are based

on very specific views that are not those of the

common people. They are based on the views of

specialists. Classical theories are made to satisfy

specialists, art historians, archaeologists, chemists,

physicists, but not necessarily the stakeholder,

user of the object, or the spectator. I think that

contemporary theories are now moving towards

this, well, they are aiming at bearing in mind the

views of the spectators, the layman and the views

of the common people.

Are you implying, whilst saying that, that common sense is not applicable to these elitist groups?

No, no, no, it is not. These elitist groups, (and I

know well, I sort of belong to one of them) do

have some inner, particular ideas that are common

to us insiders –but this common sense is not very

common, since it is that of specialists, a reduced

group of people. We have an idea of what is com-

mon sense within our own field of specialization.

When I speak of the revolution of common sense,

I am referring to common sense in the broadest

sense of the term – that which applies to the vast

majority of people. For instance, to conserve some

layer of dirt that most people would find disgusting

over an object that most people find worthless,

as in archaeological conservation, is not common

sense. But then some not-so-common-one could

say, hey, I’m an archaeologist and I do care about

conserving that layer of dirt because it could

NEW HORIZONS FOR CONSERVATION THINKING

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e_conservation24

provide me with some information in the future.

This common sense stems from the specialist’s

point of view only, but that common sense is not

actually all that common, because most people

would want to remove that dirt. But then again,

a certain group of people with a, well, less-common

common sense may find that layer of dirt valuable.

Up until now, the views of the vast majority of

people were not cared about. Indeed sometimes

these views do not need to be cared about, be-

cause it may be necessary to conserve for those

specialists. However I mean to say that an object,

say a painting, may not necessarily be valuable

for an elitist group only, it can also have a sym-

bolic value for many people - the same applies

to a sculpture, a cathedral, etc. All these things

mentioned can be considered valuable for more

people, for reasons which are, indeed, truly

common sense.

Do you think that mass popularity of a cultural asset can lead to a type of demagogic conservation?

Yes, sure, that is a risk, but we don’t want that

either… It is not that we should just abide by the

will of the majority. Often, to avoid demagogic

conservation we do have to ignore the common

view of the people. This leads to a paradox. They

pay us, we work for them, but we just have to

ignore them. I think that this paradox can be

solved by suggesting that when we say that we

are working for users, the term 'users' includes

not only contemporary users, but also future users.

And we conservators are speaking for those future

users who do not have a voice yet.

Indeed you refer to this in your book as sustain-

able conservation, which we have been speaking about. Do you think that your 'Contemporary Theory of Conservation' offers a satisfactory answer to the problems of conservation ethics?

I do not think that it is my theory of conservation,

I think that it is a theory that is in the air, like,

well 'Love is in the Air'… but 'Conservation

Theory is in the Air'. There are many people who

think this way, and who have contributed to it.

I have formulated it and I have added my own

patches where I felt it needed patching. And yes,

I feel that it gives an answer to many problems.

Laudan, a philosopher of science, said that the

value of a theory is measured by the amount of

problems it can solve. I do think that this contem-

porary theory solves more problems than classical

conservation theories. However, there are prob-

lems that cannot be solved so easily, such as the

problem of measuring value. Subjective values

cannot be expressed in terms of numbers, and

that’s a real challenge we’ll have to cope with.

In your book, you criticize the notion of scientific conservation. In your opinion, what role does science play in conservation?

It helps conservators to have more data, to be

more informed. It should not substitute or replace

ethics. Science tells us things about how the world

works, how an object was in some more or less

remote past, it can hint how some particular

material will behave, but then again there are

many other factors that are not scientific, which

are usually more important than the information

that science can provide us with. For example,

we need to know not just the past state of an

object, but whether or not that past state of the

object is more desirable than some other states

of the object. This is something that science

cannot tell us. Science can tell us if a varnish is

aged or not, but it cannot tell us if we should

remove that varnish. So the most important

decisions have nothing to do with science, they

have to do with needs, expectations and people.

These are things that cannot be dealt with by

science; it should just act an auxiliary tool, be-

INTERVIEW WITH SALVADOR MUÑOZ-VIÑAS

Page 25: e-Conservation Magazine • 6

e_conservation

cause it cannot guide conservation. It can tell

us to select a particular adhesive or to help us

make more informed decisions, but it cannot

make the decisions; it is we who make the

decisions.

What are your views on minimal intervention?

I have nearly finished the final version of a chap-

ter on that topic for a book which is being edited

by Alison Bracker and Alison Richmond, so this

is a topic that I am somewhat acquainted with.

What I have found is that either we do not actually

refer to anything minimal or we do not actually

refer to the intervention at large, but only to

some particular aspects of the intervention. If

we would sincerely abide by that principle we

would do nothing, because a truly minimal inter-

vention is just the slightest step away from doing

nothing. So it is obvious that the notion makes

sense if we change its actual meaning. While we

do understand the notion and find it useful, it

could be better referred to with other terms.

What projects are you currently working on?

I am working on some theoretical texts on ethics

but I am also working on some interesting tech-

nical aspects of paper conservation. This is a field

that I do not want to abandon, not at all. It is

very nice to alternate between purely theoretical,

almost philosophical research, and the more

practical, technical research –switching from

working with words to working with formulae

and physical principles, and with the hands, is

very refreshing –perhaps the most important

privilege of working within a university is that

I can choose when to switch, and how often.

What publications are you working on?

I have recently completed a contribution on the

notion of authenticity for the chapter of a book

that will be published by Archetype. Besides that,

I am preparing a technical article on an often over-

looked (or plainly ignored) drawback of common

flattening techniques – these techniques alter

Salvador Muñoz-Viñas with Joana Kosek, paper conservator from the British Museum and James Black, director of Archetype Publications and co-ordinator of International Academic Projects.

Prof. Muñoz-Viñas lecturing at the British Museum, 'Contemporary Ethics of Conservation for the XXIst century' Seminar in London, June, 2007.

25

NEW HORIZONS FOR CONSERVATION THINKING

Page 26: e-Conservation Magazine • 6

26 e_conservation

the original dimensions of paper sheets; it has

been very interesting to discover, assess and

understand this phenomenon. A long overdue

book on the history of painting techniques is

also in the pipeline which I am coauthoring with

a fellow Spanish conservator. It should have been

finished long ago, since the project dates back

to the late 1990s, when I still had the privilege

of teaching that beautiful subject, but I have

been indulgently procrastinating upon it – the

publishers are not happy with that. Further ahead

there lie several very appealing projects, such as

a book on conservation ethics and contemporary

art or an analysis of some aspects of Brandi’s

Teoria del restauro. However, these projects are

just that - I have deviated from your question,

since I am not actually working on them, but

just musing with them.

In your opinion, which is the best model of education in conservation?

I think that it should be similar to how physicians

are taught. That is the students have a heavy

load of hands-on practical work and a heavy load

of very different theoretical matters. And then,

when they finish, they start an internship for

four more years, alongside with experienced

experts from whom they are transmitted valuable

acquired knowledge and skills. This could be a

model for conservation – not that I am advocating

for a six-year conservation degree followed by

a four-year internship: I am advocating for a

blend of theoretical and practical teaching, rang-

ing from sciences to humanities to conservation

techniques – this is a real trademark of conser-

vation as a discipline which in my opinion is rarely

well-implemented. Ideally, it would be followed

by a strictly controlled period of work in real la-

boratories. The Bologna directive seems to call for

a four-year degree, but they tell next to nothing

about internships in real-life laboratories or

workshops. On the other hand, it is very difficult

to make sure that the interns will get hands-on

experience in the specific techniques that they

need, since professional workshops are not

concerned with teaching, but with solving pro-

fessional needs and with their own livelihood.

And then there is the fact that many labora-

tories just do not need or do not want interns

buzzing around; and those which often assign

the interns the most routine and boring tasks

– the tasks that nobody wants to do. This is a

good lesson about how life is, but not about

conservation. Even though the attitude of the

conservators who host the interns may be easily

understandable and perfectly logical, this defies

the whole point of an internship. Of course, and

worst of all, it is very difficult to avoid. Thus, in

many ways, the model I am describing can only

be a purely ideal model. To tame these problems,

I would add to the equation the need to have a

strict system of student selection, and strict

Salvador Muñoz-Viñas in his paper conservation workshop at the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia.

INTERVIEW WITH SALVADOR MUÑOZ-VIÑAS

Page 27: e-Conservation Magazine • 6

e_conservation 27

'numerus clausus'. Not just because it would

enable to improve the teaching and instruction,

but also because it would allow the teachers and

the students to be much more selective about

those all-important internships.

How do you see the implementation of the Bologna process in higher education? Do you believe it will bring about an improvement to the actual models of conservation educationin Spain?

No, I don’t think so. Each European country has

its particular issues and the issues in Spain will

not be solved by any particular education quali-

fication system, such as that which the Bologna

directives call for. After Bologna we will have more

or less the same problems, except that we will

have new degrees which have slightly different

durations from those we have now. For example,

one of the main problems which currently exists

has to do with the fact that in Spain conservation

is taught both by universities and by "Escuelas

Superiores" (which are tertiary education insti-

tutions outside the university). In fact, and

following Bologna, the "Escuelas Superiores"

already have their four year degrees which have

just been approved by the Ministry; while the

Universities already have their post-graduate,

Bologna-style degrees, and will soon have their

four-year graduate degrees. However, both the

Escuelas and the Universities refuse to cooperate

together to unify these degrees: each party seems

to the other as a menace or even an enemy. It

is a problem that will not be solved by anything

from Bologna; unfortunately the problem will

remain. However, the Bologna process is not to

be blamed for it: its goals were not to solve all

of these problems, but to implement a homoge-

neous higher education system all across Europe,

and, in my opinion, this is something that has

been successfully achieved.

Christabel Blackman (b. 1959, Australia) holds a

Masters Degree in Conservation and Restoration of

Cultural Patrimony (UPV, Spain) specializing in

easel painting and a Diploma in painting restoration

from the Istituto per l'Arte e il Restauro, Italy. She

lives in Valencia, Spain, where she is a free-lance

senior paintings conservator.

Professor Salvador Muñoz-Viñas concludes his inter-

view with the air thickened by the variety of thought

provoking ideas that have been offered forth. His

complex concepts are simplified down into digestible

units in the same way that conservation processes

are isolated into more manageable steps. He belongs

to the innovative vocational thinkers that are paving

the way for changes on a more communal and uni-

versal level in the conservation sphere, changes that

are slowly being reflected in the collective attitude

of our profession. Undoubtedly we will keep hearing

his words reverberate amongst the movement of

the contemporary visionary kaleidoscope of new

notions in conservation.

NEW HORIZONS FOR CONSERVATION THINKING

Page 28: e-Conservation Magazine • 6

arti

cles

AREAS OF PUBLISHING

Conservation TreatmentMural Painting

Painting

Stone

Sculpture

Textiles

Paper / Documents

Photography

Metals

Tile / Ceramic / Glass

Furniture

Music instruments

Ethnographic assets

Archeological objects

Conservation ScienceScientific research

Material studies and characterisation

Analytical techniques

Technology development

Biodeterioration

State-of-the-art

Reviews

Preventive ConservationTheoretic principles

Case studies

Documentation in ConservationStandardisation

Documentation methods

Data management

Conservation TheoryEthics

Conservation History

Art History, Iconography,

Iconology, Chemistry, Physics,

Biology, Photography, Cultural

Management, Museology,

Computer Science, Legislation

and Juridical Processes,

Conservation Policies

and any other field applied to

Conservation and Restoration

of works of art.

Find out more: www.e-conservationline.com

e_conservation

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by James Gross

ARE LIBRARIES EFFECTIVELY MONITORING THE CONDITION OF THEIR MICROFILM COLLECTIONS?

Page 30: e-Conservation Magazine • 6

Introduction

In the United States, a sizable percentage of li-

braries house microfilm collections. A number

of these microfilm collections are relied upon by

scholarly users for reference and research needs.

Microfilm collections typically consist of a mixture

of new as well as older film rolls. Usage of these

films by patrons can be affected due to accidental

tearing or bending of the film. Older film which

has become brittle has an even greater potential

for tearing. And, library users, even if they are

trying to be careful, are not always knowledgeable

regarding usage of the film readers.

This is exacerbated by the number of libraries with

varying brands and models of film readers. If the

rolls in these collections became damaged, re-

placement or repair of the damaged film would

be needed. However, in today’s economy, library

budgets are stretched to the limit and funding

for replacement film collections, even if needed,

could be prohibitively expensive. What steps can

library staff take to avoid this potential problem?

In this short article we will examine some issues

facing microfilm collection preservation and share

some thoughts on possible solutions.

Are Library Patrons Afraid of Microfilm?

First, we should be honest regarding the usage

of microfilm by the public. Many librarians will

privately share how their patrons see microfilm

usage as a format medium to be avoided. They

generally cite the additional time required to

master the film reader. Few patrons relish the

prospect of having to use microfilm. In this age

of instant gratification, library patrons prefer to

locate their information with the quick search and

download of online data. The textual or book format

is typically utilized only if absolutely necessary.

Well, as the reader is probably aware, there is a

substantial amount of reference material stored

on microfilm. While some researchers may prefer

the speed and convenience of accessing data via

electronic files or paper, it is widely acknowledged

that a sizable percentage of library collections

are stored on the microfilm format.

Microfilm has a long history of usage in libraries

and will likely remain with us in the near future.

The latest trend in data storage is a migration

from existing media, including microfilm, to

scanned images. While this trend is acknowledged,

the purpose of this article is to make the reader

aware of a growing problem, deteriorating micro-

film. If important microfilm collections are not

analyzed for preservation needs, some libraries

could potentially find themselves in the possession

of damaged or unusable film rolls. If these film

rolls became unusable, would a replacement roll,

via microfilm or digital version, even be possible?

30 e_conservation

For severely decomposed film, salvaging it could prove to be extremely questionable, if not impossible.

JAMES GROSS

A growing number of libraries are concentrating on digital imaging. While this may be of benefit to

both in-library as well as off-site patrons, care should be taken to avoid neglect of a more traditional

information format, the microfilm. In today’s fast paced world of gigabit data streams, microfilm may

be seen by both patrons and librarians as "old news". This would be a mistake. A large quantity of data,

much of it unique, currently exists solely in the microfilm format. In this short piece, we will discuss the

preservation issues facing microfilm. We will discuss the options that exist for library management to

check and monitor the status of their film collections.

Page 31: e-Conservation Magazine • 6

The Ticking Time-bomb

The Library of Congress Information Bulletin

referred to the issue of damaged or unstable

microfilm collections as a "ticking time bomb"

[1, pp. 97]. There are a number of major educa-

tional institutions in the country which house

sizable microfilm collections. These include

university libraries, such as the University of

California at Berkeley, Cornell University, and

Yale University. Also, there are the large city

libraries such as the New York City Public Library

and the Philadelphia Free Public Library. The

majority of preservation issues do not manifest

themselves in the newer microfilms. Most of the

preservation problems deal with the older films.

For example, when older films start to deteriorate,

they begin to give off a strong vinegar smell.

This acetate decomposition is caused by a chemical

deterioration known as the "vinegar syndrome"

[2, pp. 19]. Once this deterioration accelerates,

the film on the reel can become brittle and break

apart in ones hand. If left unchecked, the film

itself will eventually begin to stick together. For

severely decomposed film, salvaging it could prove

to be extremely questionable, if not impossible.

31e_conservation

MONITORING MICROFILM COLLECTIONS

Image 1 and 2. Severely damaged film roll.

Page 32: e-Conservation Magazine • 6

Image 3 and 4. Damaged film boxes.Image 5. Canned film in need of re-boxing.

Cellulose Nitrate Film

Prior to the 1950’s, experts were aware of the

problems associated with cellulose nitrate film.

This type of film had been used for motion pictures,

and was known to be extremely unstable [3, pp.

118]. Due to this instability, films were transferred

to a cellulose acetate-based film. Acetate based

film was later found to be unstable and steps

were taken to transfer the film to a polyester

based film [3, pp. 119]. Thus, the vast majority

of film deterioration issues have been with

nitrate and acetate based film. As noted above,

the instability of nitrate and acetate based film

led them to be phased out and/or transferred

to polyester-based films. Polyester-based films

have a shelf life of over 500 years if processed

and stored correctly. Microfilm instability is not

new. Institutions such as the Library of Congress

and the George Eastman house (affiliated with

Kodak film), have been long aware of film preser-

vation needs. So, if some institutions are aware

of film preservation concerns, why hasn’t there

been a concerted effort to create and implement

a film collection preservation plan?

Neglected Microfilm

The reality is microfilm collections often suffer

from neglect. As a storage medium, it just doesn’t

have the budgetary appeal that other storage

formats, such as electronic databases, do. Also,

libraries and archives, for the most part, have

limited staff and budgets. Their staff is empowered

to focus on taking care of the current patron work-

load. They may not even have a qualified staff

person dedicated to the microfilm room or collec-

tion. Debra Madsen pointed out that these large

film collections, usually a large institutional

investment, were often, "staffed by low level

employees such as paraprofessionals and students"

[4, pp. 103]. Madsen also suggested that if a

32 e_conservation

JAMES GROSS

Page 33: e-Conservation Magazine • 6

microfilm librarian was added to the library staff,

then he or she could devote his or her time to

updating the microfilm catalog entries as well as

be trained on the library’s existing preservation

program [4, pp.104].

Gracy and Cloonan, quoted by De Stefano [5],

were even more critical of the technical expertise

of library staff. They stated, "There is a lack of

technical skills […] among library professionals

in their basic understanding of film". In addition,

they pointed out, "in libraries, specifically, the

lack of qualified personnel is […] substantial"

[5, pp. 120]. De Stefano, in echoing the comments

of Gracy and Cloonan, stated "there is an absence

of experience and expertise resident in libraries

to preserve these [microfilm] collections" [3,

pp. 122].

33e_conservation

Unless the library or archive has a trained person to examine and maintain the collection, nothing will be accomplished.

Optional: 2 pics [old boxes drawer; damaged

box2]

Image 6. Damaged film box.Image 7. Film drawer with assortment of old film boxes.

MONITORING MICROFILM COLLECTIONS

Page 34: e-Conservation Magazine • 6

Possible Solutions

What about possible solutions? An essential first

step is for the library or archive to realistically

examine their long-term collection priorities.

They must determine if the age of their microfilm

collection warrants a professional examination.

The second step would be for the library manage-

ment to seek outside expertise. This expertise

could be utilized to either perform a collection

appraisal and/or conduct microfilm preservation

training for the library staff. Unless the library

or archive has a trained person to examine and

maintain the collection, nothing will be accom-

plished. One possible option would be to contact

the state archive, the Library of Congress, or the

National Archives for technical assistance. A trained

microfilm consultant can go through a collection

and list which films need leader, which need to

be re-boxed, and which films are suffering from

advanced decomposition. The decaying films

could then be set aside for additional preser-

vation efforts.

Preservation Plan

Libraries and archives house valuable microfilm

collections. These collections can be best served

if a preservation plan is in place. This plan should

include an analysis of the film collection and a

list of those films in need of special attention.

A preservation survey of the film collection would

be a practical first step. A review of the environ-

mental conditions of the film room and the film

drawers would also be in order. Depending on the

size of the film collection, the microfilm specialist

could first make an overall macro assessment of

the collection by checking each film series and

then later perform a micro analysis by carefully

examining every film box and roll.

Generally, deterioration caused by age and film

composition would most likely to develop in

In any library or archive, an investment in qualified staff would probably be an essential step for addressing collection preservation integrity.

specific collections. The microfilm specialist is

the person whose knowledge and experience

make him or her, the best candidate to identify

those film rolls in need of re-boxing, and those

film rolls in need of preservation.

Conclusion

In closing, it is clear that some libraries and

archives need to spend more time and effort if

they wish to ensure the long-term survival of

Image 8 and 9. Plastic (new) vs. metal (old) film reels and old vs. new film boxes.

34 e_conservation

JAMES GROSS

Page 35: e-Conservation Magazine • 6

their microfilm collections. A. M. Scham, as quoted

by Jonathan Bengston, noted "it is with the

greatest reluctance that library administrators

are beginning to face the unpleasant fact that

books and archival materials are not indestructible"

[6, pp. 199]. In any library or archive, an investment

in qualified staff would probably be an essential

step for addressing collection preservation integ-

rity. And, while many institutions are currently

exploring the feasibility of converting from micro-

film to digital, the vulnerability of digital media

is still an acknowledged issue. As Suzanne Dodson

cautioned, "all of these electronic media are short-

lived and are not suitable for preservation purposes"

[2, pp. 21]. Regardless of future digitalization

plans, unless microfilm collections are housed

in environmentally safe conditions, checked for

the usage of acid-free boxes, and periodically

monitored for film decomposition issues, the

director of a library or archive may one day be

faced with a microfilm preservation catastrophe.

35e_conservation

References

[1] D. Van Der Reyden, "The Preservation Directorate at 40", Library of Congress Information Bulletin, 66 (5), 2007, pp. 96-99

[2] S. C. Dodson, "Film is a Film is a Film - or is it?... Microfilms - How to Evaluate for Use and Purchase", Microform & Imaging Review, 34 (1), 2005, pp. 18-21 [3] P. De Stefano, "Moving Image Preservation in Libraries", Library Trends, 52 (1), 2003, pp. 118-122

[4] D. Madsen, "A Case for Professional Level Staffing for Microforms", Microform & Imaging Review, 35 (3), 2006, pp. 103-104

[5] K. Gracy, and M. Cloonan, "The Preservation of Moving Images", Advances in Librarianship, Frederick C. Lynden (ed.), v. 27, Elsevier, Amsterdam, as quoted by Paula De Stefano in "Moving Image Preservation in Libraries", Library Trends, 52 (1), 2003, pp. 120

[6] J. Bengston, "Reinventing the Treasure Room: The Role of Special Collections Librarianship in the 21st Century", in Frederick Lynden (ed.), Advances in Librarianship, 25, Academic Press, New York, 2001, pp. 199

Image 10. New microfilm boxes drawer.

MONITORING MICROFILM COLLECTIONS

Page 36: e-Conservation Magazine • 6

36 e_conservation

JAMES GROSSContact: [email protected]

James Gross is a Micrographic Specialist, having

worked for four years at the National Archives in

College Park, MD in the Special Media & Preser-

vation Lab. While there, he handled duties such

as microfilming original records, microfilm preser-

vation, as well as re-organizing the microfilm

collection in the Master Film Library. His duties

also included re-organizing the microfilm

cabinets and repaired microfilm rolls requiring

preservation.

He is currently assisting microfilm preservation

efforts at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania

while pursuing a Master’s degree in Library

Science at Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA.

Further Reading list

P. Z. Adelstein, "Preservation of Microfilm", Journal of Micro-

graphics, 11 (6), 1978, pp. 333-337.

P. Banks and R. Pilette (ed.), Preservation: Issues and

Planning, American Library Association, 2000.

S. Dodson, "Microfilm Types: There Really Is a Choice", Library

Resources & Technical Services, 30 (1), 1986, pp. 84-90.

J. Dupont, "Microform Film Stock: A Hobson’s Choice. Are

Librarians Getting the Worst of Both Worlds?", Library

Resources & Technical Services, 30 (1), 1986, pp. 79-83.

K. Gracy and M. Cloonan, "The Preservation of Moving

Images", Advances in Librarianship, Frederick C. Lynden

(ed.), v. 27, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 2004.

K. E. Gracy and J. A. Croft, "Quo Vadis, preservation edu-

cation?", Library Resources & Technical Services, 51 (2),

2007, pp. 81-97.

E. Kesse, "Condition Survey of Master Microfilm Negatives,

University of Florida Libraries", Abbey Newsletter, 15 (3),

1991.

C. C. Morrow, The Preservation Challenge, A Guide to Con-

serving Library Materials, Knowledge Industry Publications,

Inc., New York, 1983.

B. Patkus, Assessing Preservation needs, A Self-Survey Guide,

Northeast Document Conservation Center, 2003.

S. Puglia, A Short Guide to Nitrate Negatives: History, Care,

and Duplication, Northeast Document Conservation Center,

1986.

A. M. Scham, Managing Special Collections, Neal-Schuman,

New York, 1987.

T. Selle, "Acetate Microfilm", New York State Archives,

2003, http://www.archives.nysed.gov/a/records/mr_pub15

_accessible.html (accessed on 3 February 2008).

JAMES GROSS

Photo credits:

All pictures taken by James Gross.

Image 1 and 2: National Archives, College Park, MD, photos

of microfilm preservation work being conducted by Kathy

Miller, Preservation Specialist, National Archives & Records

Administration.

All other images: Historical Society of Pennsylvania,

Philadelphia, PA, photos of microfilm boxes selected for

preservation re-boxing.

Personal image: National Archives, College Park, MD, Master

Microfilm Library. James Gross engaged in the splicing of a

microfilm roll.

Page 37: e-Conservation Magazine • 6

This work describes the study and conservation of an icon from the eighteenth

century provenient from the private Valadorou collection, now belonging to the

Benaki Museum of Athens.

The icon studied will be presented with a group of other icons from the same

collection in an itinerary route of exhibitions foreseen to start in Romania in

October 2008.

In this paper, the major concern was to understand the construction of the icon

and to identify the various materials used by analytical techniques. The

identification of pigments was made by analytical methods such as the observation

of cross sections by optical microscopy, X-Ray Fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) and

Infrared (IR) false-colour images. Micro Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy

(µ-FTIR) was used to identify the varnish and the green glaze.

This study combines art history, production techniques, iconography, scientific

research and conservation of this work of art.

by Maria Avillez and Chryssa Vourvopoulou

CONSERVATION OF A GREEK ICONTechnological and Methodological Aspects

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38 e_conservation

Introduction

In the field of conservation and restoration, this

is a research study that shows the importance of

interdisciplinarity to a successful approach to the

work of art. The exchange of experience between

institutions - the Benaki Museum in Athens and

the Faculty of Sciences and Technology of the New

University of Lisbon (FCT-UNL), the exchange of

opinions between museum conservators, art

historians and chemical engineers, and the use

of analytical techniques for a correct identification

of the original materials allowed for a reliable

study and safe intervention on the work of art

described in this paper. In this case, consulting

literature proved to be as important as science

since the answers to our doubts lay many times

in the extensive experience of others.

This entire experience enabled a profound knowl-

edge of the particular technology of icon painting.

At first sight, icons may look the same as other

panel paintings but in fact they are different, as

this research and work has proved. Icons require

a careful interpretation, thus attention must be

paid to all aspects involved, such as the period

they were made, the iconography of the repre-

sentation, the materials and techniques used by

the artist, and their function and future role in

the society, meaning whether they were meant

for private collections or churches.

Due to the influence of the Orthodox Church and

extensive historical background, Greece is an

excellent place to acquire knowledge on the icon

painting and restoration techniques. The Benaki

Museum is one of the most important museums

in Athens. It has four buildings and several conser-

vation departments: paper, textiles, photography,

metals, ceramics, icons, canvas painting, wood

and laboratory. The Museum also works with the

University of Athens, other museums as the

Byzantine and Christian Museum in Athens

and with the Ormylia Art Diagnosis Center.

The Faculty of Sciences and Technology of the

New University of Lisbon has a Conservation and

Restoration Department that, along with the

Chemistry Department, offers students the

possibility to perform research in conservation.

Many facilities are available, such as XRF, µ-FTIR,

GC-MS, GC-FID, SEM an µ-Raman, from which

some having been used to complete this study.

1. Historical Context

An icon (from Greek, eikõn, lit., "image") is a

representation depicting holy beings or objects.

According to Espinola [1] "an icon [is] in its

broadest definition any image or portrait figure".

After the iconoclastic1 controversy, the Eastern

Orthodox Church established a code of beliefs

and a set of rules for the artistic production of

icons.

In Byzantine and Post-Byzantine periods, creating

an icon required thorough team-work as the skills

of several specialists such as carpenters, gesso2 -

workers, gilders, draughtsman and painters were

required to perform the tasks involved. In recent

times, however, the production of icons decreased,

so that late icons are normally made by a single

artist [2].

Greek icons can be organized in three periods [3]:

- Byzantine - from the 10th century to the Fall

of Constantinople in 1453, when icons were

produced in the Byzantine territory.

MARIA AVILLEZ and CHRYSSA VOURVOPOULOU

1 The Byzantine Iconoclasm (726–87 and 815–43) was a controversy for the religious veneration of images that resulted in the deliberate destruction of icons, monuments and other religious symbols. Most of the Byzantine icons were destroyed or plastered over during this period [2].

2 Gesso (from Italian, lit. 'board chalk') is a powder of calcium carbonate used in combination with animal glue (usually rabbit-skin glue) in the preparation of the ground of panel paintings.

Page 39: e-Conservation Magazine • 6

39e_conservation

CONSERVATION OF A GREEK ICON

Figure 1."Presentation ofJesus at the Temple”,icon from the Benaki Museum.

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40 e_conservation

- Post-Byzantine - from the second half of the

15th century to the 17th century, when the

artistic centres moved from Constantinople

to Crete, Ionian Islands, Mount Athos and

the Balkans.

- Late icons - after the 17th century up to

nowadays, where the icon studied in this

paper belongs.

2. Iconographic Theme

The icon studied (Figure 1) represents the biblical

scene of the 'Presentation of Jesus at the Temple'

(in Greek, Hypapanté, lit., 'Meeting') described

by the evangelist Luke3: "When the time of their

purification according to the Law of Moses had

been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to

Jerusalem to present him to the Lord and also to

offer in sacrifice a pair of doves or two pigeons.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon,

who was righteous and devout. He was waiting

for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit

was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the

Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had

seen the Lord's Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he

went into the temple courts. When the parents

brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the

custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in

his arms. There was also a prophetess, Anna.

She was very old. She never left the temple but

worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.

Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave

thanks to God and spoke about the child to all

who were looking forward to the redemption of

Jerusalem." [4].

The biblical description is useful to recognise the

figures depicted in the icon and their intentions,

but in order to understand the iconographic theme,

it is necessary to know not only the origin of the

Scriptures, but also to be familiar with the rites

of Purification in the Christian cult.

Réau [5] explains that this scene has origins in

the ritual described in the Leviticus4, being said

that the women that gave birth to a boy were

considered unclean during the seven days after

the birth, which is why their entrance in the temple

was refused. It is presumed by theologians that

the Virgin submitted herself to this law to show

example of humility and obedience. In fact, she

did not need to be purified as she gave birth

without sin.

3. Technological Aspects

3.1. The Wooden Panel

The support of this icon is made up of a single

wooden board obtained by radial cut. In one side

of the panel marks made by the saw used to work

the timber can be seen. The back and the side of

the icon were plastered with a thin layer of gesso

ground, which was intended to protect the wood

from humidity, to reduce the risk of cracking and

also to cover the imperfections of the surface.

The type of wood used for this panel was identified

as belonging to resinous trees. The exhibited

colour and smell indicate pine, a wood commonly

used in this time. To help this identification, a

small tangential sample of the wood panel was

taken and observed by optical microscopy. Under

the microscope it was possible to observe the

typical veins of resinous trees (Figure 2).

Two horizontal battens were glued and nailed in

the reverse of the panel. The role of the battens

was to stop the retraction of the wood but in this

case they had a negative effect because they

restricted its natural movement, originating a

severe crack along the panel. The battens are

3 This episode appears only in the gospel of Luke, the other gospels never mentioning it.

4 Leviticus is a book from the Old Testament of the Holy Bible.

MARIA AVILLEZ and CHRYSSA VOURVOPOULOU

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41e_conservation

rectangular, cut to the width of the support and

nailed from the back to the front with four nails

each. The nails were aligned and placed at regular

intervals. It is known from literature [3] that the

support and paint layer use to deteriorate due

to the swelling caused by the nails rust. In this

case, the heads of the nails also caused part of

the paint loss in the surface. These were the main

problems of the wooden support.

3.2. The Canvas

The wooden panel is covered by a glued canvas of

medium density. The canvas was normally placed

between the panel and the ground to increase

the cohesion and to enhance the resistance of

the paint layer to the retraction of the wood [3].

The canvas fibber was identified by optical micros-

copy as being linen (Figure 3).

3.3. The Ground

The technique of the ground layer in icons is the

same as the one described by Cenninni [6] re-

garding the preparation of wooden supports for

tempera’s paintings. A mixture of glue and gesso

was applied in layers of decreasing thickness and

perpendicular to each other.

In cross section one can see that the ground layer

contains small amounts of carbon black pigment

which must have been added deliberately to

decrease the white colour of pure gypsum.

In some areas, a craquelure network with perpen-

dicular cracks was formed due to the presence of

the canvas. In the upper area of the icon, a par-

ticular type of craquelure with diagonal marks can

be noticed. This may be due to the intentional

incisions that were made in the wood to enhance

the adhesion of the ground layer.

3.4. The Design

In Greece, from the late 17th through 19th centuries,

model designs drawn and coloured in paper were

reproduced by artists and their apprentices and

circulated among all schools [7]. Many of these

designs, mostly the ones of the Greek icon maker

Athanasios, can be seen today at the Benaki

Museum.

The drawing was normally transferred to the ground

layer by covering the verso with carbon and marking

the outlines with a sharp instrument. The black,

slightly engraved lines can be seen with the naked

eye through the transparent paint layers such as

lakes and ochres or when these layers are very thin.

In this icon, the outlines of the figures, the archi-

tectonic elements and the margins of the icon were

engraved. Some details were then drawn with a

fine brush, namely the faces, hair and flesh.

In some areas, the black underdrawing can be seen

due to the thinness of the paint layers above.

Figure 2. Sample of the wooden panel, amplified 20x (OLYMPUS AX 70 PROVIS Microscope).

Figure 3. Sample of the canvas linen fiber, amplified 20x (OLYMPUS AX 70 PROVIS Microscope).

CONSERVATION OF A GREEK ICON

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42 e_conservation

Figure 4. Column detail, type of brushstrokes in visible (left) and infrared photography (right).

3.5. The Gold Leaf

The icon is gilded with gold leaf only in the back-

ground of the architectural elements and in the

region of the halos. The gold leaf was applied

over a layer of reddish bole, according to the

traditional gilding technique. Gold powder was

also used, probably applied with a brush in the

decorated surfaces with floral and geometric

motives (ceiling area and altar).

The circular areas - the halos and the semi-circle

dividing the figurative area from the decorative

one - were all engraved with a sharp tool.

3.6. The Paint Layer

Concerning their artistic qualities, icons are par-

ticular works of art due to their different conven-

tion of painting. The frontality of the figures, the

deliberate disregarding of the illusion of three-

dimensionality (known as 'reversed' or 'inverted'

perspective), the representation of several mo-

ments of the same action at the same time (known

as the 'continuous style' [8]) are not accidental.

In icons, the use of colours and shapes is based

on a completely different artistic language.

Most common icon painting technique is egg

tempera, the medium being egg-yolk mixed with

water. Vinegar was often added to conserve the

egg longer and to reduce the greasiness of the

emulsion [9].

The traditional Byzantine technique of painting

consists in the application of dark tones as back-

ground colour. This first layer, called proplasmos

in Greek iconography, is maintained at the edges

and in the shadow areas [10]. Over this layer,

several mid-tones are superimposed until the

final highlights.

The brushstrokes are characterised by freehand

and fluid paint, varying in width and direction.

Different types of brushstrokes can be seen in the

recorded infrared image in the background of the

architectural elements (Figure 4). In the areas

of faces and flesh, impressive brushstrokes are

recognisable with the naked eye (ex., detail of

the contour of Simeon’s hair in Figure 5).

The application of pictorial layers in a certain order,

beginning with dark tones and progressing to

MARIA AVILLEZ and CHRYSSA VOURVOPOULOU

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43e_conservation

highlights, is particularly obvious in the region

of faces and visible flesh. These are the areas

where artists gave more attention to details.

Most of the colours used in icons were the result

of pigments availability and price, but in this icon

some standard colours were respected for each

figure. The following tones were used: red, yellow,

white, black and possible blue or green. The pro-

plasmos ranges from light brown to dark brown

and is the result of combinations of yellow ochre,

cinnabar, carbon black, lead white and copper

blue or green (undistinguishable in the cross

sections, Table 3 and 4).

In "The Painter’s Manual" of Dionysius of Fourna

(a Greek monk and icon painter from Mount Athos),

the making of the flesh colour is explained: "Take

Figure 5. Simeon’s hair detail, type of brushstroke and design in visible (left) and infrared photography (right).

drams of terraverte, drams of dark ochre, drams

of lime-white for working on walls, and drams of

black; grind them up well and use as underpaint

when you paint flesh colour" [11].

Two mid-tones made up of lead white, cinnabar

and yellow ochre can be distinguished. They are

applied in different hues in a way as to soften

the transition between the underpaint and the

lighter layer and also to differentiate flat areas

such as the foreheads or the back of the hands.

It is interesting to notice the difference of brush-

strokes between the painting of a young face

(Joseph and Mary) and an old face (Anna and

Simeon). Iconography indicates that Anna and

Simeon are very old, thus the painter represented

their faces wrinkled (Figure 6).

CONSERVATION OF A GREEK ICON

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44 e_conservation

The white highlights are the only areas painted

in impasto. Different shapes are obtained with a

very thin brush by rapid and repeated movements

(Figure 7).

In the areas where the artist intended to give more

volume, he applied a dilute red paint, like for

example for the cheeks, neck and near the mouth.

This layer is called glyklasmos. Finally, the eyes,

ears, noses, chins and mouths as well as the

hands are delineated by thin brown brush-strokes

(Figure 7).

4. Methods for examination and analysis

The methods for examination and analysis used

in this work can be divided in non-destructive

and destructive methods. Both types of exams

allow an interpretation of the work of art based

on the results obtained regarding the characteri-

sation of the materials used and the painter’s

technique.

The non-destructive methods used for diagnosis

were visible (Vis), ultraviolet (UV) and infrared

(IR) photography. For pigment identification XRF

(Table 1) and false-colour infrared photography

(Table 2, Figure 8) were used.

The destructive methods of analysis for material

identification were sampling of cross sections

(Table 3 and 4) and µ-FTIR.

Figure 6. Virgin’s Mary and Anna’s faces, comparison between the painting technique of a young and an old face.

Figure 7. Virgin Mary’s portrait, details of painting technique.

MARIA AVILLEZ and CHRYSSA VOURVOPOULOU

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45e_conservation

No. Colour Detectedelements

Characterisation - Identified pigments

1 Anna’s greengarment

Ca, Cu, PbS, Fe, SrK, Ti, Zn

Major pigment based on copper. Major amounts of calcium and lead. Minor amounts of iron based pigments.- Copper Green (malachite or verdigris), ochre, lead white, gypsum

2 Mary’s red garment(light shade)

Hg, Ca, PbS, Fe, K, SrAl, Cu, P, Cl

Major amounts of mercury based pigment. Main constituent based on calcium and lead. Minor amounts of iron based pigments.- Cinnabar, ochre, lead white, gypsum

3 Mary’s red garment(deep shade)

Hg, PbS, Ca, Ti, Fe,SrAl, Cu, P, Cl, Si

Major amounts of mercury and lead based pigments.Minor amounts of iron based pigments, calcium and sulphur.- Cinnabar, ochre, lead white, gypsum

4 Joseph’s brown garment

Fe, Pb, CaHg, S, Mn, Cl, SrSi, Ti, Cu

Main constituents based on lead and calcium. Major amounts of iron based pigment. Minor amounts of mercury based pigment, manganese and sulphur. - Umber, ochre, cinnabar, lead white, gypsum

5 Red frame(lower left side)

Pb, Hg,S, Ca, Cl, SrSi

Main constituents based on lead, and mercury. Minor amounts of sulphur and calcium.- Cinnabar, lead white, gypsum

6 Mary’s green garment

Cu, Pb, Sr,Ca, Fe, Zn,S, Cl, Sr

Major pigment based on copper. Major amounts of calcium and lead.- Copper Green (malachite or verdigris),ochre, lead white, gypsum

7 Grey ceiling Pb,Ca, S, ClSr

Major constituent based on lead. Minor amounts of calcium, sulphur and chlorine.- Organic black (?), lead white, gypsum

8 Red frame(upper left side)

HgPb, S, Ca, KCl

Main pigment based on mercury. Minor amounts of calcium, lead and sulphur.- Cinnabar, lead white, gypsum

9 Green column base

Pb, Cu,Cl, Ca, FeZn, Sr, Ti

Major constituents based on lead and copper. Minor amounts of calcium, iron and chlorine.- Copper Green (malachite or verdigris),ochre, lead white, gypsum

10 Anna’s red garment

Pb, CaSr, SCu, Fe

Major amounts of lead and calcium. Minor amounts of strontium and sulphur. Traces of iron.- Red lake (?), ochre, lead white, gypsum

11 Joseph’s blue garment

Cu, Pb,Ca, Fe, Cl, SrS, K, Si, P

Main constituent based on lead. Main pigment based on copper. Minor amounts of iron, calcium and strontium.- Azurite, lead white, gypsum

12 Joseph’s flesh (left foot)

Fe, Hg, PbCa, S, ClCu, Sr

Main pigments based on iron, lead and mercury.Presence of calcium and sulphur. Traces of copper.- Cinnabar, lead white, ochre, gypsum

13 Yellow decoration (upper left side)

Pb, AsCo, Ni, SrFe, Zn

Arsenic-based main pigment. Major amounts of lead.Minor amounts of cobalt and nickel. Traces of iron.- Orpiment or realgar, lead white, ochre gypsum

Table 1. Data from spot X-Ray Fluorescence spectroscopy for the characterisation of the materials used. Detected elements are arranged in three rows following a semi-quantitative hierarchy for major (first row), minor (second row) and trace (third row).

CONSERVATION OF A GREEK ICON

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e_conservation

Figure 8.Detailed visible, false-colour

infrared and infrared recorded images. Application of false-

colour IR photography in identification of pigments

(Digital camera Nikon D50).

Prophetess Anna,portrait detail

Simeon,portrait detail

Virgin Mary,portrait detail

Ornament detail,right side of the icon

Column detail,left side of the icon

MARIA AVILLEZ and CHRYSSA VOURVOPOULOU

46

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Blue backround 1. Wood 2. Ground layer 3. Underpaint – lead white, carbon black, smalt. 4. Varnish

Ceiling 1. Ground layer – gesso and glue 2. Underpaint - cinnabar, lead white and carbon black 3. Mid-tone – cinnabar and lead white 4. Varnish – natural resin

Red border 1. Ground layer with dark pigments 2. Underpaint – cinnabar and lead white 3. Mid-tone – cinnabar with lead white and carbon black

Red

False-colour infrared photography was used as a

complementary technique to obtain information

that could help to the pigments' identification.

The equipment used was a digital camera Nikon

D50 with capacity to record photographs in the

infrared spectrum at a wavelength range between

900-950nm. To capture the IR image, a filter

(Kodak Wratten, No.87 C) was applied and the

images recorded with an exposure time of +1,00

seconds, aperture of 22 and white balance (WB)

defined for day light.

The images in visible light were recorded with an

exposure time of +0,3 seconds, an aperture of 16

and WB defined for interior light.

The results were helpful to the study but this tech-

nique is never conclusive.

True colour False-colour IR

Black Black

White White

Cinnabar Yellow

Azurite Blue

Ultramarine Reddish purple or dark blue

Indigo Red or dark brown

Cobalt Reddish

Yellow with Fe Greenish

Other yellows White

Copper greens Blue

Green earth Blue, light

Umber Black

Table 2. Correspondence between true and false-colour IRof the pigments.

Blue

Red

Table 3. Cross sections of the samples in polarized (left) and UV light (right).

47e_conservation

CONSERVATION OF A GREEK ICON

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Column1. and 2. Ground layer3. Underpaint – carbon black and lead white4. Mid-tone – lead white and carbon black

Yellow tile from the floor1. Mid-tone – lead white and cinnabar2. Underpaint – cinnabar and lead white

Anna’s red garment1. Ground layer2. Paint layer – red lake, ochre, lead white

Virgin’s red garment1. Ground layer with red pigments2. Underpaint – cinnabar, ochres3. Mid-tone – cinnabar and lead white

Joseph’s left foot1. Ground layer – gesso and glue2. Underpaint – yellow ochre, cinnabar, carbon black, lead white3. Mid-tone – lead white and cinnabar

Joseph’s blue garment (50x)1. Paint layer – azurite, malachite, lead white, ochre

Anna’s mantle (20x)1.Ground layer2.Underpaint – malachite, lead white3.Glaze - verdigris

Virgin’s green garment (20x)1. Ground layer2. Underpaint (floor tile) – cinnabar, lead white3. Paint layer – malachite, azurite, lead white

e_conservation

Grey Green

Yellow

Table 4. Cross sections of the samples in polarized light.

Blue

Red Red

4.1. Pigments

4.1.1. Reds

The red pigments are used in a range of tones from

light to dark red. The major pigment found in red

areas is cinnabar mixed with lead white, more or

less according to the tone required.

An exception to this technique can be found on

Anna and Simeon’s red garments. Here, as sus-

pected and then confirmed with XRF and false-

colour IR, a red lake mixed with lead white was

used. In cross section (Table 3, 4) the sample pre-

sented a pink tone and a rather different aspect

from the other red samples. The underpaint in

this area is of a dark pink tone, the mid-tone is

MARIA AVILLEZ and CHRYSSA VOURVOPOULOU

Green

Flesh

48

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e_conservation 49

light pink and the highlights are white.

In the cinnabar red areas, the underpaint has a

dark red tone (cinnabar with black particles), the

mid-tone is strong red (cinnabar with lead white)

and the highlights are light red in the Virgin’s

mantle and yellow ochre in the curtains.

The red colour is also used to delineate the yellow

floral motifs and the mouths of all figures.

4.1.2. Blues

In figures using green-blue garments, one can

distinguish blue, green and white particles in

cross sections through the optical microscope

(Table 3, 4). By XRF it was possible to see that these

cross sections contain copper, which indicates

the pigments possibly used: azurite, malachite,

verdigris or copper resinate.

We can state that azurite is the copper pigment

mixed with the green pigment in this areas by

observation and comparison to the literature [12].

The particles distribution, the colour in the paint

film and the confirmation of the presence of copper

helps to this identification.

The blue underpaint from the upper part of the

icon presents a greyish tone and its false-colour

is reddish, different from the other blue tones

present in the garments.

In cross section (Table 3, 4) one can see that the blue

particles were slightly mixed with white and what

seemed at first, black particles. From the false-

colour IR recorded image, the emitted reddish

tone could be ultramarine, cobalt or smalt blue.

Ultramarine and cobalt were expensive pigments

so it is more likely that smalt was the chosen

pigment.

Through XRF the presence of cobalt, arsenic and

nickel was detected and according to the literature

[13] it was concluded that the blue pigment used

in this area was smalt. According to Mühlethaler

and Thissen, since the Middle Ages, the main

cobalt source used in the preparation of smalt

was smaltite (Co,Fe,Ni)As2 but in the 17th and

18th centuries erythrite (Co3(AsO4)2•8H2O) and

cobaltite (Co,Fe)AsS, associated cobalt minerals

were also used. The same authors also mention

that smalt is considered an inferior pigment

relatively to azurite and ultramarine, but as in

the 17th century these pigments were difficult

to find, they were substituted by smalt, "particu-

larly in the skies and backgrounds of paintings

where intense blue was not needed".

In cross section the blue sample shows few blue

particles and much more greyish and dark ones.

This can be explained as an increased content

in potassium oxide (K2O) decreases the stability

of smalt to atmospheric conditions, the pigment

becoming pale and greyish.

4.1.3. Greens

The green copper pigments are more difficult

to distinguish. More techniques besides XRF

identification are needed to identify which

copper pigments are present in the painting.

Azurite and malachite were frequently mixed

together due to their close mineral nature (both

copper carbonates) but the use of verdigris and

copper resinate must also be considered.

Comparing the optical characteristics (colour,

shape size and appearance) of the green particles

in the sample to the literature [12, 14], we pre-

sumed that the pigment could be malachite.

The presence of copper identified by XRF and

the history of the pigment confirmed us to the

same fact.

However, when we observed the sample from

Anna’s mantle consisting of a green type of glaze,

new doubts arose. Most particles are very similar

to malachite but others similar to verdigris

regarding their optical properties were also

present. XRF does not allow this distinction

since it only detects copper, but it does not

give any information on whether the sample

CONSERVATION OF A GREEK ICON

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50 e_conservation

contains copper acetate (verdigris) or copper

carbonate (malachite).

In order to identify the green pigment, further

exams were needed and we chose to analyse the

green glaze with µ-FTIR. By comparing standard

µ-FTIR spectra of malachite and verdigris we

concluded that the glaze was actually made with

verdigris. We can assume further that the pigment

is copper resinate, and not a transparent layer of

resinate applied over a layer of green pigment, by

stereoscope and optical microscope observation

and confirm this by comparing the µ-FTIR spectra

showed in Figure 9.

4.1.4. Yellows

The floral motifs have been filled with trans-

parent yellow paint. This thin paint layer was

applied over the blue underpaint. XRF analysis

detected iron and lead white but the major

compounds in this area were the ones related to

the blue layer due to the thinness of the yellow

layer. Due to the presence of iron it was

concluded the yellow paint must be yellow ochre.

4.1.5. Greys

A range of grey tones have been used to paint the

columns of the temple following the principle of

superimposing layers. The back columns have only

two layers: a dark grey underpaint and a grey mid-

tone. The front columns have three tones: the

underpaint is grey, the mid-tone is light grey and

the highlights are white. All the lines are delineated

with fine brush and black paint.

The grey tone is a mixture of organic black with

lead white.

4.1.6. Browns

The browns are a mixture of umber, ochre, cinnabar

and lead white. The altar has a brown-reddish tone

due to the reddish highlights, which are probably

constituted of the same pigments mixture but

with higher cinnabar content. Joseph’s mantle

has three tones: dark brown underpaint, brown

mid-tone and light brown highlights.

4.2. The varnish

A sample of varnish removed from the icon’s sur-

face was analysed by contact with a diamond cell

in µ-FTIR. The spectrum obtained was compared

with several standard natural resins spectra. The

sample contains the main peaks relating to these

resins but it seems to be a mixture with other

components, possibly oils (C-H band), or perhaps

these other peaks correspond to degradation

products of the aged resin (Figure 10). For a more

accurate result we need further exams as, for

example, the use of Gas Chromatography / Mass

Spectroscopy (GC-MS).

Figure 9. µ-FTIR spectrum of the green glaze of Anna’s mantle in comparison with a µ-FTIR spectrum of a copper resinate made of an old recipe.

Figure 10. µ-FTIR spectrum of the varnish in comparison with µ-FTIR spectra of alphacopal and shellac standard resins.

MARIA AVILLEZ and CHRYSSA VOURVOPOULOU

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e_conservation 51

5. Conservation treatment

The conservation intervention on the icon followed

the basic methodology principles and phases: con-

solidation, cleaning, stabilization of the wooden

support and cracks, filling and retouching.

The consolidation was done using Primal acrylic

polymer. At first, ethanol was injected to turn the

surface more absorbent and to help the penetration

of the consolidator and its adhesion, weights were

placed in areas of higher losses.

Cleaning was performed in a selective manner de-

pending on the pigments’ sensitivity to solvents.

The thick layer of varnish darkened during time

obscuring the colours used by the artist (Figure

11). According to the literature [2, 10], most

varnishes used in icon paintings are natural resins

or mixtures of natural resins with oil. In UV light

it was possible to assess that the varnish layer

suffered no previous interventions as no fluores-

cent areas were visible. Chemical cleaning was

performed by cotton swab and cotton patches

combining solvents such as acetone, white spirit

and ethanol according to Teas' diagram [15].

Mechanical cleaning was done only in some areas,

using the scalpel with the assistance of the stereo-

scope, which allows a better control of the cleaning

method and its interference with the icon’s surface.

Mechanical cleaning was only used as a comple-

mentary method, in areas such as Anna’s garment,

where the green glaze is very sensitive to cleaning

solvents because the medium is more similar to

the varnish than with the tempera. In such cases,

the cotton swab impregnated with solvent was

strictly used to partially dissolve the varnish layer

which was then carefully removed with the scalpel.

Although it may seem more aggressive, the use

of the scalpel in this area was safer because there

is a better control of the layer we wish to remove.

If we were to apply a cotton patch with solvent or

insist with the cotton swab, the solvent would

have penetrate deeper and start to dissolve the

glaze layer as well. After cleaning, the icon was

reconsolidated where needed and a facing was

applied.

The main conservation problem was the consoli-

dation of the wooden support. Five of the eight

nails of the battens were creating tension between

the canvas and the paint layer, starting to show

on the surface of the painting while one of them

(together with the battens’ tension) destroyed

the surface and originated a crack along the wood

panel. In order to proceed to the consolidation

of the support, it was decided to remove all nails

because of their negative effect on the condition

of the painting. Regarding the battens, as under

certain circumstances their use is not mandatory

[3], it was assessed that it would be best to remove

them in order to stop the restraining forces they

Figure 11. Details of cleaning procedure, visible thick layer of varnish.

CONSERVATION OF A GREEK ICON

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52 e_conservation

were inducing. In this case, the reinforcement of

the wood support was achieved by the treatment

of the cracks, considering to remove part of the

wood along the crack and to fill the gaps with

small laths safer than to follow the principle of

minor intervention. This way, the tension forces

that the progression of the crack was creating on

the layers above (canvas, ground and paint film)

were reduced, the surface of the icon could be

flattened creating a better adherence of all layers

to the support and the stability and resistance

of the structure was ensured (Figure 12).

Being in a museum controlled environment and

being a highly itinerant work of art, it was decided

that this structure will render it more stable.

In conclusion, although part of the wooden

support is ruined and its original form is altered

we considered this system successful in repairing

the existing cracks and more importantly, in the

stabilization of the wooden support, making it

suitable for its current and future function.

The intervention was finalised by filling the lacunas

and retouching the colour layer and applying a

final varnish (Paraloid B72 in toluene) (Figure 13).

5. Conclusions

This work describes the technological study and

the intervention performed on a Greek icon at the

Benaki Museum in Athens. The analysis performed

on the painting and the quality of the materials

used in this icon revealed that the artist mastered

the basic technique of the icon painting although

he was not an expert icon maker. The low quality

of the materials indicates that the icon was probably

made as a low price order.

Figure 12. Backside of the icon, before and after conservation treatment.

MARIA AVILLEZ and CHRYSSA VOURVOPOULOU

Page 53: e-Conservation Magazine • 6

e_conservation 53

Museums aim to promote education and research,

having the responsibility to ensure the preservation

of art collections. The technological study and con-

servation treatment of the icon from the Benaki

Museum have shown that in conservation an inter-

disciplinary approach is required, that should

include the comprehensive research of art mate-

rials, production technologies and history, condi-

tion and use of the art object.

Figure 13. Icon before treatment, after treatment and UV light photography after treatment where the retouching is visible.

References

[1] V. B.-B. Espinola, "Russian Icons: Spiritual and Material Aspects", Journal of the American Institute for Conser- vation, 31(1), 1992, pp. 17-22[2] J. Stuart, Ikons, Faber and Faber, London, 1975[3] A. Papadopoulou, "Traditional wood technology and problems relating to wooden supports" in The Conser- vation of Late Icons, The Valamo Art Conservation Institute, Finland, 1998, pp. 31-40[4] Luke 2:22-40, The New Testament, Burns Oates and Washbourne Ltd, London, 1948[5] L. Réau, Iconografía del Arte Cristiano, Iconografia de la Bíblia – Nuevo Testamento, Tomo 1, Vol. 2, Ediciones del Serbal, Barcelona, 1996[6] D. V. Thompson, Jr., The Craftsman’s Handbook ‘Il Libro dell’ Arte’ by Cennino d’A. Cennini, Yale University Press, New Haven, 1933[7] S. Stassinopoulos, "The constructions of wooden panels of icons. Defects, problems of such structures and their

treatments in previous years and today" in The Conser- vation of Late Icons, The Valamo Art Conservation Institute, Finland, 1998, 41-52.[8] C.D. Kalokyris, The Essence of Orthodox Iconography, Holy Cross Orthodox Press, Brookline, Massachusetts, n.d.[9] D.V. Thompson, The materials and techniques of medieval painting, Dover Publications, New York, 1956[10] A.N. Ovchinnikov, "Introduction to the underpainting of faces and flesh called sankir in Russian and proplasmos in Greek icon painting" in http://naturalpigments.com/ education/article.asp?ArticleID=15 (accessed on 20th

April 2008)[11] Dionysius of Fourna, The Painter's Manual, translated by P. Hetherington, Oakwood Publications, 1989[12] N. Eastaugh, V. Walsh, T. Chaplin and R. Siddall, Pigment Compendium: A Dictionary of Historical Pigments, Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford, 2004[13] B. Mühlethaler and J.Thissen, "Smalt", in R. Ashok (ed.), Artists' Pigments: A Handbook of their History and Characteristics, vol. 2, National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., 1993, pp. 113-30[14] R. Wounhuysen-Keller, P. Wounhuysen, "Thoughts on the use of the green glaze called copper resinate and its colour-changes" in E. Hermens (ed.), Looking through Paintings: The Study of painting Techniques and materials in Support of Art Historical research, De Prom and Archetype, London, 1998[15] A. Phenix, "Some observations on the safe use of solvents in the cleaning of painted and decorated surfaces" in: http://www.buildingconservation.com/ articles/solvent/diagrams.htm (accessed on 26th April 2008)

CONSERVATION OF A GREEK ICON

Page 54: e-Conservation Magazine • 6

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54 e_conservation

Following her graduate studies in Conservation

and Restoration by the New University of Lisbon

(Portugal), Maria Avillez completed a Master

in Conservation in 2008 at the same university.

In the context of her degree, she carried out

an intership in conservation of icons at the

Benaki Museum in Athens (Greece).

Chryssa Vourvopoulou, conservator at the

Benaki Museum, coordinated Maria's Master

study. Chryssa holds a degree in Conser-vation

by the University of Athens (Greece). Since

1998 she is working in the Museum’s

Conservation Laboratory of Icons, Oil Painting

and Wood Carving.

Contact: [email protected] AVILLEZ

Acknowledgements

This study wouldn’t be possible without the

assistance of my coordinator Chryssa Vourvo-

poulou to whom I give my warmest thanks.

Thanks are extended to Mr. Stergios Stassino-

poulos, head of the Conservation Department

of the Benaki Museum, for his hospitality and

knowledge and to all the museum conservators

that have helped me with this work. I also thank

Ana Claro (FCT-UNL, Portugal) for her assistance

during the � -FTIR analysis and to Professor Maria

João Melo (FCT-UNL) for helping with the data

interpretation. Finally, I would like to thank to

Eleni Katsadouri for her hospitality and care

and to Maria Cardim for her permanent support.

CHRYSSA VOURVOPOULOU

MARIA AVILLEZ and CHRYSSA VOURVOPOULOU

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case

stu

dyRED MAITREYA TEMPLE - LEH, LADAKH Mural Conservation Project

by Anca Nicolaescu and André Alexander

A Tibet Heritage Fund Program

Part 1

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Introduction

Tibet Heritage Fund’s (THF)1 mural paintings con-

servation project in Leh, Ladakh region of India,

started in 2006’s summer at Red Maitreya Temple

(in Tibetan: byams pa lha khang dmar po, pro-

nounced Jampa Marpo Lhakhang), having three

main goals.

Due to the paucity of available technical studies

of Tibetan wall paintings one of the first purposes

of the project was the investigation of the murals

starting with visual examination and documenta-

tion of the original painting technique, followed

by sampling and analysis of the constitutive

materials.

This research was necessary for a better under-

standing of materials behaviour and deteriora-

tion process in order to establish further appro-

priate conservation treatments.

The conservation project first task was the re-

moval of the different overcoatings which were

covering the murals and the stabilization of the

revealed paintings (at support and paint layer

level), treatments planned for the west wall and

the western part of the northern wall. Those

operations were urgent due to the fact that the

murals are part of a still functional temple, visited

by locals and tourists, a fact that could have lead

to rashly executed local intervention (the lower

part of the murals of the west wall were already

cleaned improperly, with some losses).

Therefore the third goal of the project was the

follow-up training of two locals which participated

in previous THF programs and gained good knowl-

edge and skills regarding conservation issues and

respect of heritage authenticity.

1. Site Description

The Red Jampa Lhakhang (Figure 1) is a highly

visible landmark on the ridge above Leh. It rises as

a red tower just below the access road to the

Leh Palace, housing a three-storey Maitreya

image and a narrow ambulatory passage. The Red

Jampa is part of a complex of three monasteries

in the Palace area (the others being Chenrezig

Lhakhang and Gonpa Soma), which used to be the

main sites for Buddhist practice and celebration of

the annual festivals have taken place in the past.

Throughout the late summer, there are daily per-

formances of traditional dances and music, and

the Leh people still come for the major festivals

such as Losar and Saka Dawa. However, mirroring

the decline of the old town and the rise of the

bazaar area, the importance of these three monas-

teries has been overshadowed by the new Tsuk-

lakhang (central Buddhist cathedral) that was

built 40 years ago in the main bazaar area of Leh.

e_conservation 57

RED MAITREYA TEMPLE CONSERVATION PROJECT

Figures 1 and 2. Red Maitreya Temple and South Elevation.

1 THF is an international NGO that was founded in Lhasa in 1996 with the aim to preserve Tibet’s heritage, particularly its architectural and urban heritage.

Page 58: e-Conservation Magazine • 6

Figures 3 and 4. West elevation (left) and east elevation (right), drawings by arch. Almarindo Lopez.

Figure 5. Ground floor plan, drawing by arch. Almarindo Lopez.

ANCA NICOLAESCU and ANDRÉ ALEXANDER

58 e_conservation

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1.1. Site history

According to locally published sources, the Red

Jampa Lhakhang was founded by the Ladakhi

king Gragspa Bumdey (grags pa ‘bum lde) who

reigned ca. 1400-1440. According to the temple’s

mother monastery of Spituk, the exact founding

year is 1430. The founder was a patron of Buddhism

and built in fact two Maitreya temples in Leh: the

Red one above the town and the White Maitreya

(byams pa dkar po) in the centre of the town. A cen-

tury later, the king Tashi Namgyal (bkra shis rnam

rgyal) who reigned ca. 1500-1530 added a third

Maitreya temple on the Tsemo hill high above Leh.

1.2. Temple description

The Red Maitreya Temple is built from rubble stone

with mud mortar around an internal timber frame.

Its design follows traditional Tibetan monastic

construction patterns and consists of several

parts, a portico, an assembly space four pillars

in size, a sanctum area housing a three-storey

clay Maitreya image flanked by two standing clay

Bodhisattva-s, an upstairs residential room and

kitchen for the single monk caretaker, and a tra-

ditional composting-type toilet.

The flat roof is built in standard Ladakhi fashion

and consists of several layers: wooden rafters

topped with layers of soil and clay. The parapet

is decorated with loose local brushwood and roots

following standard Tibetan design patterns.

Figure 6. View from the interior of the temple with Maitreya statue.

Figure 7. East-west section,drawing by arch. Almarindo Lopez.

RED MAITREYA TEMPLE CONSERVATION PROJECT

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60 e_conservation

Above the Maitreya sculpture is a wooden lantern

topped by a tin pagoda-type roof in Chinese fashion

(rgya phib).

The temple is owned by the Gelukpa-sect temple,

Spituk and its branch temple Sabu. A single care-

taker monk is deputed for a stay of three years

from the two mother monasteries. The caretaker

and day-to-day partner in the project during our

intervention was the honorable Mr. Ngawang

Tsering from Sabu monastery.

Figure 8. Maitreya original clay statue.

Figure 9. South-north section,drawing by arch. Almarindo Lopez.

ANCA NICOLAESCU and ANDRÉ ALEXANDER

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e_conservation 61

1.3. Mural painting description

The original paintings dating to the 15th century

can be found on the old western and northern

walls which now form an ambulatory after the

reconstruction of the inner hall in the late 1950s.

No other original walls have survived the recon-

struction.

Colour traces were observed in the monk’s kitchen

on the east wall, which is an extension of the

main west wall, and on the exterior of the west

wall, originally part of a portico. They were just

recorded for future investigation.

The northern wall measures 12.6 meters long and

6.4 m high, with a loss of surface of 1 m from

bottom for the entire length.

The western wall has an old section north of the

entrance measuring 4.6 m long and 6.4 m high

were the paint is still existing, with a bottom strip

loss of only 30 cm high.

The mural composition follows traditional Tibetan

Buddhist style where various narrative scenes or

sequences are sprawling along the entire surface

not being constrained by frames.

The iconographic program from the door going in

north-eastern direction:

The west wall could be divided in three registers.

Only the lowest one, the donors frieze, and Buddha’s

life have been delineated through a horizontal border.

In the first register the figures are separated on

the horizontal by a lotus flower border, the ver-

tical delimitation is achieved through the use of

background motives – flames, clouds, or small re-

presentations of the deities or attendants which

fill the in-between spaces.

The main images on the west wall are from the

door going northwards: in the lower register a

donor assembly, followed by scenes from the life

of Buddha; in the middle register the protector

Mahakala and a three-headed deity (presumably

a form of Namgyalma); and Vajrapani and a black

representation of eleven-headed Avalokiteshvara

in the upper register.

The donor assembly in the lower part – king, queen,

ministers and ladies, and an inscription, follows

an established pattern found in almost all early

Western Himalayan temples (for example Alchi,

Wanla).

On the north wall the main images are four large

Buddha representations with halo and throneback

(Sanskrit: astamangala) aureole, which is deco-

rated with a series of mythical creatures such as

Garuda and Makara. The central images are each

flanked by two standing Bodhisattva-s on either

side. On the upper part, around the Buddhas’ heads,

are smaller figures including Buddha-s, lama-s,

mythical figures and landscape elements.

Tentatively, we have identified the four as (from

west to east) Amogasiddhi, Menla (Medicine

Buddha), Amithaba and the historic Buddha

Sakyamuni.

The murals were painted with superior craftsman-

ship, freely drawn with cursive delineation of the

figures, with sinuous rhythm and modulation.

The underlining abstraction is neither sterile nor

chaotic, but always balanced, rhythmic and in-

formed with harmony.

We could observe also few artist’s attempts to

depict the figures in the third dimension by

graduation of the colour in parts of torso, face

and arms (eg. Vajrapani image).

2. Technical investigation of the murals

Basically the murals from Jampa Lhakang follow

the known regional painting technology (a secco):

natural pigments with animal glue as binder on

dry mud plaster.

Laboratory investigations comprised: micro-

chemical tests, FTIR spectrometry (Bruker Tenson

27, KBr pellets), EDXRF analysis using portable

Innov-X Alpha Series, optical microscopy (Leica

DMLS in transmitted, reflected and polarized

light) and examination of the cross sections.

RED MAITREYA TEMPLE CONSERVATION PROJECT

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62 e_conservation

Based on those researches we could trace the

basic characteristics of Ladakh’s traditional

mural paintings and rise questions for further

investigations.

2.1. The support layers

The walls, which represent the primary support

of the wall paintings, are built from rubble stones

held together with mud mortar. The secondary

support consists of two separate layers of earthen

plaster. The stone walls were first levelled with a

coarse plaster made of earth, sand, gravel and

straws (sometimes using also cow dug). The diver-

sity of the aggregate size assists adhesion to the

primary support and also provides a good adher-

ence of the subsequent plaster applications.

The surface was then covered by a second finer

layer containing markalak and sand. Markalak

(Tibetan for buttery mud) is a local clay consisting

of 62% clay, 30% calcium carbonate and 8% silt.

This upper layer is thinner and more compact

(perhaps as a result of burnishing of the surface

with a smooth stone) – a technique used still today

in the area - providing an appropriate smooth and

stable base for the application of the painting

foundation.

The preparatory layer, which we found visible

where the painting has been damaged, is a thin

white coat (calcium carbonate) which provides

a final even surface before the application of pig-

ments. We could observe that its thickness is vari-

able – under the figures it appears to be thicker

while in some large areas with red background it

seems to be very thin.

2.2. The preparatory techniques

Considerable planning and preparation must have

been an essential element in the realisation of the

painting. A careful visual examination in areas

where part of the painting layer was damaged Figures 10 and 11. Details with the murals’ guidelines.

revealed several traces that demonstrate a very

elaborate compositional set-up of the murals

since the beginning.

We could observe guidelines (thig rtse or thigs pa)

used as the first step to set out the board outlines

of the composition. Those were carried out by means

of a string dipped in red paint and gently snapped

against the surface to create a red imprint of the

line on the wall (Figures 10 and 11).

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e_conservation 63

Figure 12. Detail of isometric drawings.Figure 13. The brush sketching of the figures with black paint.Figure 14. Example with the colour notations.

The Tibetan technique of setting up the main

figures, their proportions and poses was made

through intersecting diagonal lines to create the

central, focusing point. This technique is clearly

visible on the north wall in the west side of it

above the green Buddha, and also on the figures

around him (Figure 12).

The second step in the preparatory stage we could

observe was the brush sketching of the figures

and decorations with black paint (Figure 13). All

the drawings seemed rather freely made without

the use of any design transfer, not even in the areas

with repeating patterns such as the lotus-flower

or other different ornaments.

Although in the available literature regarding the

Tibetan paintings technique (mainly thangka)

before the brush sketching is mentioned a stage

(kya ri) when the major outlines of the main figures

are drawn on the ground using charcoal. However

this phase was not apparent here.

The way how the painters were drawing the nim-

buses did not become apparent, we couldn’t find

any incised compass lines that we assume were

being used especially for the big nimbuses. We

suspect that some system (perhaps with the same

string method with one fixed point in the middle)

must have been used.

Another interesting aspect are the colour nota-

tions (Tibetan numbers in this case) drawn with

black colour on areas of different design parts

(clothes, ornaments etc.) indicating which colour

was to be employed in each area (Figures 14, 15

and 16). Thus, every number has a correspondent

colour, this fact is known in Tibetan tradition as

a usual convention used by the painters even now-

adays . With this method the colouring conception

was devised before, by the master painter, while

the assistant was filling in the formulated colours.

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Figure 17. Detail showing the corrections made during the painting.

2.3. The paint layer

According to our observations we can state that

the paint layer was first applied as a background-

flat colours (leb tshon) and on top of it the fine

details and line contours were painted (ri mo,

a Tibetan term generally denoting figurative

painting).

In general the colours were applied careful with

regard to the drawing, we could notice only few

areas where they were overlapping the black con-

tour lines. Also we observed only isolated examples

of modifications made during the execution of

the painting. However, we observed extensive

modifications made to one of the figures, the

Bodhisattva flanking the Green Buddha to the

left on the left-most section of the north-wall.

There it appears that a second painter (perhaps

the master) corrected details in the face, hand

and jewellery (Figure 17).

Depending on the colour and on the nature of the

pigment which was used the paint layers have dif-

ferent thickness (the blue and green backgrounds

are one of the thicker layers). Thus some are more

opaque whereas others are being used as very

translucent glazes.

The last details of the painting (figure details and

ornamentation found in jewellery and textiles worn

by deities) made after the succeeding application

of the colour layers are executed using exceedingly

fine brushes and coloured glazes. The level of

detail achieved with this technique is admirable,

close to the style of miniature painting than the

wall paintings (Figures 18-23).

Figures 15 and 16. Details with the colour notations.

64 e_conservation

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Figures 18, 19 and 20. Examples with the finest details achieved in these murals.

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Figure 21. Example of a delicate figure painted in a style close to that of miniature painting.

66 e_conservation

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2.4. The pigments

The palette employed in the murals is very rich;

the predominant colours are red, orange and blue.

From the physico-chemic analysis results we can

state that the following pigments were used:

- blue – azurite – a coarsely ground of azurite

was applied sometimes over a layer of charcoal

black (Figures 24-27);

- green – malachite;

- red – cinnabar, red oxide;

- yellow – orpiment;

- black – charcoal black;

For the rest of the colours like pink, purple or red

glaze more investigations are needed in order to

establish if some organic colorants were used.

Traditionally the binder which is still used now-

adays is the animal skin glue.

Figures 22 and 23. The level of detail achieved by the painting technique.

e_conservation 67

Figures 24 - 27. Example of pigment analysis (from up to down, left to right): area of sampling the blue colour; EDXRF spectra

(heavy elements) for blue sample; cross-section of the sample showing the azurite pigment applied on carbon black layer and

FTIR spectra for blue sample.

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Depending on the nature of the pigments they

were used in either thick or thin layers fact which

gave the surface different aspects – more matt-

roughish, smooth-polished or translucent.

According to the little available expert literature

about Tibetan mural painting, in the eastern Tibetan

style of painting colours are applied at least three

consecutive times. In the Central Tibetan style

only one thicker coat is applied. We are wondering

whether we find corresponding information about

our Western Tibetan mural painting.

2.5. Gilding technique

Gold was used a lot for nimbuses, ritual attributes

of the deities or jewellery (Figures 28-30).

We could observe two different types of metal used;

the gold probably in leaf and an alloy darker and

not so shiny (further investigations are needed).

In the damaged areas we could notice that a thin

layer of orange (vermilion) or a yellow colour (orpi-

ment) was applied bellow the surface of the gold.

From local painters, as well as from thangka tech-

nique, we know that the vermilion was mixed

with seed (wheat) glue as adhesive layer for this

purpose.

No varnishes or coatings were detected.

3. The conservation condition of the mural paintings

Following the study of the original paintings

technique we have identified the conservation

problems posed by the materials in addition

with other factors.

Figure 28. Vermillion applied under the metal ornaments (upper right).

Figures 29 and 30. Details with the gold leaf and alloy used for jewellery (below left and right).

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The main causes of the murals’ degradation are

due to water (infiltration, capillarity and damp-

ness) and improper human interventions.

The different deteriorations have been surveyed

and localised on drawings representing the walls,

in order to estimate their recurrence and their

situation in the whole area.

3.1. Previous interventions

Over the past 600 years the temple suffered dif-

ferent kind of damages and transformations, which

unavoidably affected the murals. Unfortunately

we don’t have complete information about all the

previous interventions.

During the Dogra invasion of the 1840s the temple

was sacked and damaged. Intentional damage

appears to have been inflicted on the donor frieze

where some of the faces (especially of the king and

queen) were scratched out, and the whole area

shows different kinds of incisions which caused

losses of the paint layer (Figure 31). Lack of main-

tenance in more recent times, and perhaps other

structural damages might have also affected the

murals. Because of its situation on the slope of

a hill, the northern wall is particularly prone to

water infiltration, which has led to complete loss

of the lower register of the paintings on the north

wall. There has been also visible damage from

roof leakage.

It is known that there was a major restoration of

the temple following the events of the 1840s but

we lack any detail information about the nature

of the intervention. We can observe traces of only

one specific intervention on the donor frieze area,

where part of the scratched faces were filled in

and over-painted (Figure 32). This was probably

done soon after the 1840s.

In 1957 the temple was partly reconstructed. The

huge main clay statue of a sitting Maitreya was

preserved, but two of the four walls were taken

down, and the entire chapel rebuilt on a smaller

scale. Thus the two originals walls (north and

west) and western walls were also rebuilt, which

accounts for the absence of paintings in those

areas. The surfaces which were rebuilt were covered

with a high quality plaster which is in good condi-

tion even today with small exceptions. The way

of application was done improperly where it

borders the original paintings, the new plaster

is overlapping the murals.

Figure 31. Intentional damages on the donor frieze.Figure 32. Detail of a repainted face.

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More recently the parts where the support layer

was lost (at the bottom and lower part of the mu-

rals) were filled in with an improper mortar from

the composition point of view (grave contraction

cracks are visible all over the surface). The applica-

tion technique used was likewise inadequate (over-

lapping the original painting and thus creating

different types of degradations).

The walls were also at that time covered with one

or two layers of coating, mainly markalak white-

wash, as preparation layer for further repainting.

This is a typical technique for both interior and

exterior wall finishing or painting ground prepa-

ration. Removal of this coat layer constituted one

of the main conservation problems.

After THF’s discovery of the huge amount of his-

toric wall-paintings hidden underneath the coating,

but before THF could start the conservation pro-

gram, an area with original painting on the lower

part of the western wall was locally uncovered

without adequate technology, provoking some

losses in the already damaged paint layer.

3.2. Damages due to moistening

Due to water sensitivity of the support materials,

the moisture factor was, over time, one of the

major causes of principal damages of the murals.

Water infiltrations and leaking caused by roof

deteriorations led to loss of adhesion of the

plaster provoking deep support lacunae along

the upper part of the walls. On the western wall

an average of 30 cm on the entire length was

lost while on the northern part (the west side)

only 15 cm were damaged.

At the same level along the edge of the murals

small areas suffered from detachments between

support layers.

The water leaking affected the paint layer also.

This being water-soluble, the infiltrations washed

out the colours producing visible white traces

especially in the upper part of the west wall.

The same phenomenon happened at the bottom

of the walls, this time due to the water seepage

from the hill behind the wall. A loss of surface

occurred along the lower section (ca. 80-90 cm).

This was probably the reason why in 1957 the

temple was rebuilt on a smaller scale.

Extensive damages are also found on the entire

surface, due to the way of applying in moist form

the white-wash and plaster covering the original

paintings.

The different deteriorations have been surveyed

and localised on drawings representing the walls,

in order to estimate their recurrence and their

situation in the whole area.

After attentive research and observation in situ

we identified the following damages occurred on

the support and paint layers.

3.3. Conservation condition of the support layer

The general conservation condition of the support

layer is fairly stabile. Except the areas were the

Figure 33. The original north wall with mural paintings and the new one built in 1957.

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70 e_conservation

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plaster was lost due to damp conditions the rest

of the original support is sound, fact which demon-

strate a very good knowledge of the materials and

technology owned by the master painter.

The damages which have been noticed at the

support layer were:

- loss of adhesion of the plaster layers which led

to large fields with deep support lacunae (Figure

34). In the upper part (due to water infiltration)

an average of 30 cm on the entire length was lost.

The same phenomenon is visible on the bottom

of the walls (ca. 80-90 cm were damaged), this

time due to the water capillarity. These areas were

filled in improperly during some previous inter-

ventions, perhaps repeatedly. The quality of the

mortar used and the technique of application were

inadequate. The material was applied careless,

overlapping the edges of the original. The affected

area shows also noticeable shrinkage cracks and

detachments from the original layer due to the

mortar composition (Figure 35).

- loss of cohesion of the original mortars due to

the moistening led to small detachments along

the upper edges of the murals and some more

acute losses close to the joint of western wall with

the northern one. In this area we could observe

one specific pocket detachment on approximately

100 square centimetres (Figure 36), and three

more small areas, on the north wall, with the

same damages.

- weakness and superficial lacunae of the support

layer are visible in the adjacent areas of detach-

ments;

- large cracks are running down on the west and

north walls. Those occurred probably due to the

inappropriate maintenance of the roof which

during time was over loaded for waterproofing

and thus creating over weights and tensions in

the walls.

The upper part of the one from the west wall was

filled in (before the paintings were covered with

new plaster layers). Along this crack a slight dis-

placement of the support layer is noticeable,

though the areas appear stable;

Figures 34 and 35. Deep support gaps and previous improper interventions.

Figure 36. Pocket detachment.

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Figure 37, 38 and 39. Gap improperly filled (left), detail with improper filling material (middle) and detail of the deep gap.

- deep lacunae of the support layer occurred on

the crack course. This gaps were filled in improperly

during previous interventions. The mortar used

is much more stronger than the original one thus

big tensions were created along the edges;

- few superficial lacunae of the support layer

occurred on the walls.

- fissures are visible but they does not seem to

be causing active deteriorations nearby;

- scratches are visible all over the surface, in the

upper part they probably occurred due to the care-

less previous interventions, while in the lower

part – on the donors frieze – most probably are

intentionally made during the Dogra war. From

the same reason the faces of the donors were

scratched out leading to superficial lacunae of

the support layer at this level.

3.4. Conservation condition of the paint layer

The survey regarding the paint layer condition

was difficult to achieve because almost the entire

painted surface was covered at the beginning

(Figures 40 and 41).

Thus the present considerations were recorded

mostly during the intervention.

As we mentioned above, the painting is highly

water sensitive therefore very susceptible to

damages and deteriorations as a result of expo-

sure to water.

Attentive observation in direct and raking light

of the paint surface revealed two important as-

pects regarding the condition and the main causes

of deterioration at this level:

Figures 40 and 41. The initial aspect of the murals.

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72 e_conservation

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- the covering layers were applied very fluid, brush

traces, splashes and drops are visible all over the

walls (Figures 42-46). The high water percentage

which was used affected the painted surface tre-

mendously producing grave damages which posed

the most difficult conservation problems during

the treatment;

- the paint layer was already damaged before the

application of the over-layers (plaster traces exist

in the paint gaps - Figures 47, 48). Thus the superpo-

sition of a new moistened layer highly aggravated

the existing deteriorations.

Following-up the causes above mentioned and

their effects we recorded the damages occurred

in the paint layer as:

- powdering of the paint layer, lack of cohesion

due to the damp ingress. In the upper parts of

the walls this phenomenon is more acute but it

can also be found in other small areas, as a result

of binder losses (the latter being water sensitive

as well) in the paint film.

- different types of flaking occurred because of

diminution of the paint layers adhesion (Figure 49).

Figures 42-46. Details in raking light showing the covering layers application method.

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This type of deterioration is notable all over the

paint surface. On the areas where the colours

were applied thick (like green and blue) this phe-

nomenon appear some times in the thickness of

the paint layer – part of the colour remaining still

on the support (Figures 50, 51). Detachments of

the paint layer together with a thin part from the

support layer are visible in some isolated places

(upper edges of the murals).

- in the areas where the paint layer was already

flaking while the fluid over-plaster was applied the

detachments which occurred at this level during

the drying process produced grave strappo of

the paint layer (Figures 52, 53).

- lacunae of the paint layer are visible all over

the surface, demonstrating a weakness of the

paint layer. From the stratigraphical point of

view those lacunae could be divided in:

Figures 47 and 48. Damages which occurred before the application of the covering layers.

Figure 49. Detail paint layer flaking.

Figures 50 and 51. Paint layer lacunae.

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74 e_conservation

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- lacunae of the paint layer – the paint layer is lost

(Figure 54);

- erosions of the paint layer – part of the paint

layer is lost;

- erosions of the patina;

A peculiar aspect of this damage could be observed

on the red colour from the fire background of the

protector images from the west wall where lacunae

of the paint occurred evenly on the whole surface

even before the overcoat was applied (Figure 55).

We assumed that this local deterioration is due

to a technique deficiency: the preparatory layer

seems to be very thin and also probably the binder

proportion was misused for this area. Lacunae of

the paint layer are widespread also on the low

part of the west wall where the improper removal

of the over-plasters led to huge losses of the

flaking and sensitive paint surface (Figure 56).

- white leaking traces are very visible on the west

wall, the water infiltration washed out the colours on

their way leaving white support traces (Figure 57).

- scratches, both intentionally and involuntary,

are noticeable all over the surface. The more

serious ones on the donors frieze were already

Figures 52 and 53. Strappo of the paint layer due to the over-plaster application.

Figures 54. The complete loss of the paint layer.

Figure 55. Flaking of the red colour.

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described above as being deliberately caused by

an invading army. Scratches in the upper part of

the murals they are probably a result of the care-

less previous interventions.

- surface deposits. All over the painted surface

Figures 56 and 57. Different damages of the paint layer.

are accumulations of airborne material of differ-

ent types such as dust or adherent dirt. In the

lower part of the walls due to the use of the butter

lamps we noticed a fatty dirt layer that alters the

original aspect of the murals.

ANCA NICOLAESCU and ANDRÉ ALEXANDER

76 e_conservation

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References:

[1] S. Bogin, "A technical Study of the early Buddhist wall

paintings at Nako, India", unpublished Master’s thesis,

Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London, 2004

[2] D. P. Jackson and J. A. Jackson, Tibetan Thangka Painting:

methods and materials, Snow Lion Publications,

New York, 1988.

[3] G. Minke, Building with earth – design and technology

of a sustainable architecture, Birkhäuser Basel, 2006

[4] A. Shaftel, "Note on the technique of Tibetan Thangkas",

Journal of the American Institute for Conservation, 25,

1986, pp. 97-103

[5] L. Rainer and A. Bass Rivera (ed.), The Conservation

of Decorated Surfaces on Earthen Architecture, J. Paul

Getty Trust Publications, Los Angeles, 2006

The complex conservation intervention which

took place in several phases will be presented

in the next issues of e_conservation magazine.

Acknowledgments:

We wish to thank to:

Project sponsors Trace Foundation New York and

InWent Germany.

Erfurt University of Applied Sciences – Germany

for their cooperation which made the project

possible thorough students volunteering (Hanna

Pohle, Derya Pektas, Jana Bulir, Olga Emgrund,

Sonia Cabela, Anke Farnik, Rebekka Ewert and

Jovanna Glaß) and their professor Meinhart

Landmann; and to the devoted local trainees

Jangchen Dolma and Skarma Lotus.

The National Research Laboratory for Conserva-

tion and Restoration of National Cultural Heritage

(LNC) – Romania especially to Prof. Gheorghe

Niculescu Director of LNC and his team (Dr. Olimpia

Hinamasuri Barbu and Dr. Georgescu Migdonia)

for all the scientific investigations presented here.

Anca Nicolaescu is a Romanian mural painting

conservator with Master degree from the Uni-

versity of Fine Arts Bucharest, Conservation-

Restoration of art works department.

She received recognition as specialist from the

Romanian Ministry of Culture in 2005 after having

coordinated various distinguished conservation

projects. One of the projects (a 17th century

mural painting ensemble) done by Restauro Art

Grup, (the conservation enterprise where she is

a co-founder), was awarded in 2004 the "Vasile

Dragut" prize for Cultural National Heritage by

the Romanian Ministry of Culture.

Her work experience includes international par-

ticipation at conservation projects and seminars

in UK, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Japan and India.

ANCA NICOLAESCUContact: [email protected]

André Alexander was born in West-Berlin in the

Year of the Wood Dragon.

He currently divides his time between Ladakh,

China and Germany. He was trained by traditional

master craftsmen in Lhasa in traditional Tibetan

architecture, and is currently affiliated with Berlin

University of Technology (MSc in Urban Manage-

ment and PhD candidate in Architecture), where

he occasionally lectures. He is co-founder and first

chairman of Tibet Heritage Fund, an international

non-profit organisation working to preserve the

heritage of the Himalayan regions. He has a prodi-

gious publishing activity, from which several articles

and reports can be seen online at THF website.

ANDRÉ ALEXANDERContact: [email protected]

THF - TIBET HERITAGE FUNDwww.tibetheritagefung.org

RED MAITREYA TEMPLE CONSERVATION PROJECT

e_conservation 77

All photos and drawings in this article are by

Anca Nicolaescu, unless otherwise specified.

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book

revi

ew

e_conservation

After having announced the launching of the

book "Mural Painting in the North of Moldavia.

Aesthetic Modification and Restoration" in the

previous issue of the magazine, we continue to

explore the inside of this book which generously

shares the knowledge gained in over 35 years of

experience of mural painting conservation by

Professor Oliviu Boldura. The book addresses

the problem of aesthetic interpretation of the

image, evolved over the centuries with respect

to the factors that have contributed to its alter-

ation. Several aspects of the conservation process

are exemplified by case studies of monuments

belonging to UNESCO World Heritage, such as

Saint George in Suceava, Arbore and Balinesti

Churches and Sucevita, Moldovita, Voronet and

Probota Monastery Churches, all located in north-

ern Moldova, Romania. The author’s approach

to each case is not just that of a conservator,

but of an experienced specialist that "gives major

importance to interdisciplinary research, the

only way of placing a correct diagnosis and the

premises of setting an intervention methodology

adequate to each monument", as Corina Popa,

art historian, noted in the book preface.

After first summarising the contents of this book,

we are faced with numerous degradation factors

that limit our perception of the authentic image,

sometimes making impossible the coherent read-

ing of its artistic message. A look at the surface

of the murals reveals the heterogeneous presence

of dust and smoke produced by candles, salts and

biological formations, chemical alterations of

pigments and repaintings. All these lead to "an

aesthetic alteration of the objective perception

MURAL PAINTING IN THE NORTH OF MOLDAVIAAesthetic Modification and Restoration

Author: Oliviu Boldura

Publisher: Accent Print

Publication Year: 2008

Pages: 450

ISBN: 978-973-1772-12-7

Language: Romanian / English

Price: free of charge

Review by Anca Dina

Appreciating the present work

for the exceptional organisation

of the material presented with a

mirror-like argument documen-

tation but also for clearing the

ideas and solutions, we would like

to stress its pragmatic contribution

both to art history and, especially,

to the treasure of knowledge in the

field of the mural painting

restoration.

Ioan Opris, University Professor

Page 79: e-Conservation Magazine • 6

BOOK REVIEW

e_conservation 79

of the image" and may also lead us to wrong

assessments. The first chapter of this book is

actually an overview of the various types of

accumulations encountered on mural surfaces

and the influence they have in the conservation

of paintings.

Another transformation of the original material

is the alteration of pigments, phenomenon

which, in one form or another, is present in all

the monuments. This issue is addressed in the

next chapter, where degradation factors such

as humidity, sunlight and accidental intense

heat, next to technical deficiencies, pigments

nature and improper interventions are discussed.

The author treats separately the alteration of each

pigment, among which white calcium carbonate,

red lead, cinnabar, yellow ochre, copper based

pigments (azurite and malachite) and smalt.

Chapter 3 deals with the alteration of the origi-

nal material due to physicochemical degradation

mechanisms, such as loss of cohesion and adher-

ence of colour layer, support erosion and deposits of

salts. The application of scientific methods to con-

servation has proved essential for the author and

its importance is exemplified in several interesting

cases. The similar aspect that sometimes areas

covered with salts may have with areas affected

by biological formations, which are approached

in Chapter 4, is just one example of such case.

After dealing extensively with monuments conser-

vation, the author reaches a striking conclusion:

"among the general factors which contribute

to the decay of the heritage, man, by his attitude

and activities, causes the worst aggressions on

his own cultural values". An exhaustive chapter

(Chapter 5) is devoted to numerous examples

that come to support this conclusion: historic

interventions according to attitude changes -

when votive paintings were modified or repainted;

interventions on the architectural or mural ensem-

ble; incisions with documentary value; vandalism

and occult practices, all these proving once again

"man's desire to mark his passage" as well as the

diminished respect for the creation of our fore-

fathers. From another perspective, the human

factor is the reason of atmospheric pollution,

of incompatible materials ignorantly introduced

in the original structure and of inadequate main-

tenance practices. By introducing modern and

functional elements, man has contributed to the

degradation of the monuments in general and

of the wall paintings in particular. "The author

is therefore not only a researcher and restorer,

but also the responsible specialist concerned

with the artistic value and cultural and historical

attributes of the monument, which may be pre-

served in time not only by the rigorous compliance

with the general principles and rules of heritage

preservation, but also with the specific recommen-

dations that may be formulated only by he who

researched in detail the monument" (Corina Popa).

The church of Sucevita Monastery, exonarthex, east wall. Degra-dation of the painting due to vandalism and occult practices.

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80 e_conservation

Technical flaws are another reason for the alter-

ation in time of the original material. Chapter 6

deals with aspects such as the quality of the mate-

rials used by the artist, the technical methods

of execution, the skills and not ultimately, the

structural defects. Issues raised by repaintings

and the attitude that one must have in such situ-

ations are addressed in Chapter 7. A concern is

not only that overpaintings distort or cover the

original, but that "they acquire in time their own

history and this may turn them irreversible".

Therefore such areas require a critical analysis

of the aesthetic quality and the importance of

the addition in rapport to the original and a

thorough research concerning the technological

identification and the conservation status of

the overlapping layers and the original. This

chapter presents examples from the churches

of Arbore and St. George in Suceava and Probota,

Râsca and Sucevita monastery churches, which

by different reasons were partially or totally re-

painted around the 19th century.

The restoration process itself can lead to the

deterioration of the authentic image (Chapter 8).

Admitting that any intervention involves a tiny

loss of original material, the author states that

in addition to "the execution skills, there stands

the problem of the critical attitude, both towards

the recuperation and conservation of the original,

and towards the authentic transmission of its

message. Therefore, the restorer’s action is a

responsible deed of culture which must not be

altered by regrettable interpretations, on many

occasions, irreversible". Guided by these ideas,

the author refers in this chapter to alterations due

to materials used in restoration or caused by the

methodological process, focusing on issues such

as aesthetic presentation and image interpretation.

Chapter 9 is dedicated to methodology, the author

assessing the "restorer’s attitude in relationship

with the responsibility of his action consciously

The book provides a wide amount of completely

new information in Romania. The discussion on

the organic and inorganic materials and their

qualities does not end at the theoretic level but

is tightly linked to the restoration process (the

explanation of the causes of decay, compatibili-

ties and incompatibilities with the built environ-

ment and the current usage of buildings) and the

re-creation, in the end, of aesthetic qualities as

close as possible to the original.

Tereza Sinigalia, Art Historian

BOOK REVIEW

The church of Moldovita Monastery, narthex, east wall. Aspect of the painting before and after conservation.

Page 81: e-Conservation Magazine • 6

e_conservation

subordinated to the professional requirements".

In Chapter 10, "Representative methodological

aspects", issues such as the cleaning of surface

deposits, the recreation of the adherence and co-

hesiveness of the paint layer, the support adherence

to the masonry and many others are discussed.

This book’s last chapter is entitled "Contributions

of the restoration work to the re-evaluation of

the historical and artistic heritage in the North

of Moldavia". Next to some interesting aspects

revealed during his interventions through the

careful study of the surface and with the help of

various scientific studies, the author stresses

once again "that the task of transmitting cultural

heritage values to future generations belongs

to us all as society".

The book was published with the support of the

Ministry of Culture and Cults from Romania, as

part of the collection "Bucovina Research, Conser-

vation and Restoration Centre".

Most part of the work refers to the human

intervention as a cause of the alteration of

the painted image, occasion not only for

discussing the problem of the inadequate

interventions or of restorations carried

out according to nowadays obsolete

methodological principles, but especially

for pointing out the decisive importance

of the adequate usage of the monuments,

the huge responsibility which the benefi-

ciaries have in monitoring the state of

conservation and complying with the

conservation rules.

Corina Popa,Art Historian

Anca Dina is a conservator-restorer of mural

paintings. She has coordinated several intervention

areas from onsite conservation projects in northen

Moldavia, Romania.

BOOK REVIEW

81

St. George Church from Suceava, narthex, north-west view. Aspect of the painting before and after conservation.

Page 82: e-Conservation Magazine • 6

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Page 83: e-Conservation Magazine • 6

No. 6, September 2008

ISSN: 1646-9283

Registration Number125248

Entidade Reguladorapara a Comunicação Social

Propertye-conservationline, Teodora Poiata

PeriodicityBimonthly

CoverPhoto by Anca Nicolaescu - THF

Detail of mural painting from Red Jampa Lhakhang - Leh, Ladakh, India

Executive EditorRui Bordalo

EditorsTeodora Poiata, Anca Nicolaescu

Collaborator:Anca Dina

Graphic Design and PhotographyAnca Poiata, Radu Matase

ExecutionTeodora Poiata

Address Rua Peixinho Júnior, nº 9, 1 D

2770-163 Paço de ArcosPortugal

www.e-conservationline.com

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