Complex investigation of the five 19th century Russian-Lipovan icons

Abstract

For a better description and chronology of the liturgical art of the Russian-Lipovan community of Romania and, in view of correct attestation, a set of five icons presumed painted in the first half of the 19th century belonging to the patrimony of Antim Monastery (Bucharest) and One-wood Monastery (Valcea county), have been investigated by means of non-invasive Digital Radiography (DR), X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) and Raman (FT-Raman) Spectroscopy. Only a few fragments being left after some restorations have been analysed by invasive Epithermal Neutron Activation Analysis (ENAA).DR proved a relative good state of conservation of wooden panel evidencing the presence of different metallic artefacts, XRF confirmed the presence of Ca, Cr, Fe, Ba, Ag, Hg, Au and Pb as components of pigments or metallic ornaments, ENAA, although being reduced to only a few fragments, allowed to evidence the presence of Sr, as well as of small amounts of Zn and As, most probably as impurities. Judging on FT-IR data, a protein-rich binder, most probably hen egg yolk was used, suggesting tempera as the main painting technique. Complementarily, FT-Rama spectroscopy showed that in all cases painters had used vermilion, red lead and at a less extent - litharge as red pigments, while white lead, anhydrite, chalk had been used as white pigments or as components of the primer. Only in the case of the most elaborated Saint Nicholas icon, FT-Raman spectroscopy allowed to identify the use of chrome yellow and ultramarine. All data suggest the first half of the 19th century as a possible age of the icon painted in local ateliers belonging to the Russian-Lipovan community of Romania.