Study of a XVIII-th Century Triptych: Materials and Technologies Used and Conservation State

Abstract

The paper presents the conservation state of a XVIII-th century triptych, evaluated by analyzing the materials and the technologies used to create it. The triptych is part of the Neamt Agapia monastery collection. It is made out of hand carved lime wood, painted in egg tempera, by an unknown author. The theme of the triptych is “Annunciation” and it is painted in a miniaturist style, all the architectural details on the background of the icon being oversized. A variety of materials was used to create this art piece: the lime wood for the support, metal for the hinges and hanger and the fish glue used at binder and various pigments. This triptych is extremely important not only for its cultural value, but also for its historical perspective because inside the triptych there is a memorial of the founders of the cemetery church of Agapia monastery. The wooden support, the metallic elements and the painting layer are affected by a series of deteriorations and degradations, all caused by the storage environment, the ageing of the materials and improper handling. In order to determine the conservation state and to authenticate the triptych MO and SEM-EDX were used. Archeometrical characteristics of pigments and binders were identified. The obtained data will be used to established a restoration protocol for the triptych.