Study of the two-sided icon "Pieta" / "Holy Martyr Barbara" of the 18th century from the Church of John the Baptist in the village of Dorozhiv, Drohobytsky District, Lviv Region, in the context of the separation process of paint layers and transferring them to a new base

Abstract

The study is devoted to the problems of restoration of the double-sided icon "Pieta" / "Holy Martyr Barbara" using the method of separation and transfer to a new basis of easel painting. Today, the main task of the restorer is the maximum study, research and preservation of the work of art, its history and transformation over time. The article presented the possible reasons for restoration and repainting of artworks of easel painting, as well as the most widely used methods of "preservation", fixing the layers of later repaintings, which lead to their physical loss due to the discovery of an older, original painting layer. Emphasis is placed on the expediency of applying the technique of layering and transfer to a new basis of easel painting, as an alternative in the context of maximum preservation of the entire structure of the artwork, including later historical transformations. The necessary conditions that precede the successful application of the technique of separation and transfer to a new base of artworks of easel painting are specified. There are presented the general conclusions about the state of preservation and the set of conducted physical-chemical and technical-technological studies of the double-sided icon "Pieta" / "Holy Martyr Barbara" of the 18th century from the church of John the Baptist in the village of Dorozhiv, Drohobytskyi district, Lviv region, and a program of restoration activities. Tests on separation of the paint layer of the 19th century from the "Pieta" icon are presented and the obtained results were analyzed, as a result was selected the optimal method of separation of this painting layer as one whole fragment. The entire process of conservation and restoration processes, including the application of appropriate restoration methods, as well as the specifics of the selection and use of restoration materials, is presented and illustrated. The result of this research using the technique of separation is the preserved painting layer of the icon "Pieta" of the 19th century and the painting of the icon of 1726, created by Ivan Seredyskyi, an icon painter of the Rybotytsky Center of Church Art, opened for further study. Attention is drawn to the study of this icon in the context of the work of Rybotyk masters in the monograph of Roksolana Kosiv.