Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-hc48f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T00:37:21.016Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

X-ray powder diffraction investigations of Ruthenian-Byzantine frescoes from the royal Wawel Cathedral (Poland)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 February 2012

Alicja Rafalska-Lasocha ,
Wieslaw Lasocha ,
Marta Grzesiak  and
Roman Dziembaj
Alicja Rafalska-Lasocha*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, ul. Ingardena 3, 30-060 Krakow, Poland
Wieslaw Lasocha
Affiliation:
Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, ul. Ingardena 3, 30-060 Krakow, Poland and Institute of Catalysis and Surface Chemistry PAS, ul. Niezapominajek 8, 30-239 Krakow, Poland
Marta Grzesiak
Affiliation:
Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, ul. Ingardena 3, 30-060 Krakow, Poland
Roman Dziembaj
Affiliation:
Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, ul. Ingardena 3, 30-060 Krakow, Poland
*
a)Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. Electronic mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Laboratory X-ray powder diffraction was applied to investigate the pigments used by medieval artists in Ruthenian-Byzantine frescoes in the royal Wawel Cathedral in Krakow (Poland). It was found that red fragments contained cinnabar (PDF 06-0256), yellow contained goethite (PDF 29-0713), and blue pieces contained azurite (PDF 02-0153). The green pigment, quite difficult to identify, was finally established as green earths—pigments commonly used in Byzantine wall paintings. Calcite (PDF 24-0027) was detected in all the samples. Small amounts of quartz (PDF 46-1045) in the plaster samples were also detected. The absence or presence of only minute amounts of quartz is a characteristic feature of the Ruthenian-Byzantine frescoes. Malachite was not detected in the green parts of the frescoes, in contrast to earlier investigations of wall paintings in Poland. Experimental details and the results obtained in this study are described and discussed.

Keywords

X-ray powder diffractometrypigmentsconservation sciencefrescoes
Type
Technical Articles
Information
Powder Diffraction , Volume 25 , Issue 3 , September 2010 , pp. 258 - 263
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aucouturier, M. and Darque-Ceretti, E. (2007). “The surface of cultural heritage artifacts: Physicochemical investigations for their knowledge and their conservation,” Chem. Soc. Rev. CSRVBR 36, 1605–1621.10.1039/b605304cCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eastaugh, N., Walsh, V., Chaplin, T., and Siddall, R. (2008). Pigment Compendium: A Dictionary and Optical Microscopy of Historical Pigments (Elsevier, New York).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hradil, D., Grygar, T., Hradilova, J., and Bezdicka, P. (2003). “Clay and iron oxide pigments in the history of painting,” Appl. Clay Sci. ACLSER 22, 223–236.10.1016/S0169-1317(03)00076-0CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jakubczyk, I. (2006). “Rassian-Byzantine and manieristic paintings in St. Mary Chapel of Wawel Cathedral. New Discoveries,” J. Conserv. Restor. 17, 38–49.Google Scholar
Labatt, A. (2000). “The religious relationship between Byzantium and the West,” Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York) 〈http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/rrbw/hd_rrbw.htm〉.Google Scholar
Naumova, M. M., Pisareva, S. A., and Nechiporenko, G. O. (1990). “Green copper pigments of old Russian frescoes,” Stud. Conserv. 35, 81–89.10.2307/1506196CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Naumova, M. M. and Pisarewa, S. A. (1994). “A note on the use of blue and green copper compounds in paintings,” Stud. Conserv. 39, 277–283.10.2307/1506588CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ospitali, F., Bersani, D., Di Lonardo, G., and Lottici, P. P. (2008). “Green earths: Vibrational and elemental characterization of glauconites, celadonites and historical pigments,” J. Raman Spectrosc. JRSPAF 39, 1066–1073.10.1002/jrs.1983CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Procacci, U. and Cione, A. (1969). Frescoes from Florence (Hayward Gallery, London), pp. 15–25.Google Scholar
Rafalska-Lasocha, A., Kaszowska, Z., Lasocha, W., and Dziembaj, R. (2010). “X-ray powder diffraction studies of green earth pigments,” Powder Diffr. PODIE2 25, 38–45.10.1154/1.3308412CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rogóż, J. (2009). Zastosowanie technik nieniszczących w badaniach konserwatorskich malowidel sciennych, M. Kopernik University, Torun.Google Scholar
Trąbska, J. (2001). Mineralogical and Chemical Study of Painting Layers of Mediewal Wall Paintings from Poland (Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow).Google Scholar
Trąbska, J., Gaweł, A., and Trybalska, B. (2000). Niektóre zielone i niebieskie pigmenty syntetyczne: Malachit i zasadowe chlorki miedzi, Biuletyn Informacyjny Konserwatorów Dzieł Sztuki, Vol. 3, Sec. 20.Google Scholar