Wall Paintings Research Articles

Память об умерших царевичах: к особенностям темы царского тезоименитства в ярославских стенных росписях XVII – первой половины XVIII вв.

The focus of this paper is on the glorification of the Romanov house in early Modern times in the art of Yaroslavl. The city of Yaroslavl was closely involved in the chain of events leading to the enthronement of the reigning Romanov dynasty and that is why much attention was paid in the city to their glorification in church worship and ecclesiastical art. Images of holy princes on temple pillars and the consecration of cathedrae in honor of tsars and princes have become a tradition in Yaroslavl. Our study of the iconography of murals in Yaroslavl churches confirms that the lives and destinies of each Romanovs’ generation were reflected in Yaroslavl’s monumental painting, including images of princes who died in infancy. For con-temporaries, a death of an heir to the throne was a great loss and an omen of coming tribula-tions. The long life of the tsar and his family was, conversely, seen as a promise of stability and abundance in the country. To ensure longevity and well-being of royal figures the intercession of patron saints of the royal family was evoked. Their images were widely disseminated both in icons and in wall painting. The highest point of their glorification was the unique fresco com-position “May the Tsar and His family be blessed”, representing the genealogy of the Romanov dynasty, ascending from the holy princes and crowned by numerous tsareviches (tsar’s sons). Based on the analysis of this composition the interplay of reality and fiction in popular per-ception of the ruling house is discussed.

Bacterial Communities in Plastic-Contaminated Sites and Rusted Acrylic Wall Paint: Isolation and Characterization

Bacterial Communities in Plastic-Contaminated Sites and Rusted Acrylic Wall Paint: Isolation and Characterization

Unveiling the microstructure, materials, and painting period of ancient wall paintings at Shanxi Xianqing Temple, China

Unveiling the microstructure, materials, and painting period of ancient wall paintings at Shanxi Xianqing Temple, China

New insight from MALDI-TOF MS and multivariate data analysis on the botanical origin of polysaccharide-based paint binders in ancient Egypt.

Polysaccharide-based materials of plant origin are known to have been used as binding media in paint and ground layers of artifacts from ancient Egypt, including wall paintings, cartonnages and sarcophagi. The use of gums from Acacia, Astragalus and Prunus genera has been suggested in the literature on the basis of their qualitative or quantitative monosaccharide profile after complete chemical hydrolysis. The introduction of partial enzymatic digestion of the polysaccharide material, followed by analysis of the released oligosaccharides by matrix assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry, has proved effective in discriminating among gums from different genera, as well as among species within the Acacia genus. In this study, the previously built Acacia database was expanded, principal component analysis (PCA) was used to aid in grouping of the samples, and data interpretation was refined following a modified acacieae taxonomy. Application of the analytical strategy to investigate the paint binders in artworks from ancient Egypt allowed qualitative discrimination of gums at a species level, and provided new insights into the artists' material choices.

Analysis of house dust mycoflora and enhancement of antifungal potency of wall paints

Analysis of house dust mycoflora and enhancement of antifungal potency of wall paints

Bacterial Communities in Plastic-Contaminated Sites and Rusted Acrylic Wall Paint: Isolation and Characterization

Bacterial Communities in Plastic-Contaminated Sites and Rusted Acrylic Wall Paint: Isolation and Characterization

Imitation Curtain Depictions from Byzantine Cappadocia

By scrutinising examples of imitation curtain patterns on Cappadocian wall paintings, this article aims to comparatively evaluate other curtain imitation compositions seen in Byzantine art. In addition to this, the use of curtains in civil and religious architecture (especially at the entrances of large structures) in the Byzantine Period and the theological importance of imitation curtain patterns in the Byzantine Period are also discussed. Curtains were found in all areas of the Empire, although few have survived. In addition to the positive influences of Old and New Testament texts, religious commentaries called tractates written by Gregorius of Nyssa, one of the Cappadocian Church Fathers, may have encouraged the use of curtain patterns in Christian religious structures. Based on this, the theological explanations of aniconic curtain patterns are also included in our article. The article also aims to prove that this pattern we encounter in Byzantine art is a continuation of Roman art traditions. It is possible to find curtain patterns in a lot of handiwork from the early Byzantine Period. Among the churches of the Byzantine Period in the Cappadocia region, which is our main subject, imitation curtain patterns are primarily seen in wall paintings dating to the 9th - 11th centuries. In this study, we have identified that the only exception to this situation is the example in the apse of Ihlara Bezirana Church (end of 13th century, beginning of 14th century). The pattern was implemented especially in the aniconic ornament of the naos or apse wall paintings of the churches in the region, and it is noteworthy that they were painted as the main motif in a row, forming the border of the figural scenes on the lower parts of the walls (in the areas below the human waist). This study explains the properties of the imitation curtain patterns found in the wall paintings of Cappadocia and compares them in terms of ornamental properties, pattern composition, size, colour scale, and theological roots and development in Byzantine art. In addition, the importance of the curtain pattern, its usage areas and its features in the Byzantine Empire have been explained with examples.

A Group of Byzantine Wall Paintings on Rock Surfaces in İncirliova, Aydın and Yatağan, Muğla

Aydın’ın İncirliova ilçesine bağlı Dereağzı köyünün yukarısında Ballıkaya ve Muğla İline bağlı Yatağan ilçesinin Yava köyü sınırları içinde kaya yüzeyine yapılmış dört resimli yüzey tespit edilmiştir. Aydın, Ballıkaya’da oldukça sarp bir alanda bulunan mağaranın girişinin sağ tarafında, sıvalı yüzeyinin üzeri mavimsi-gri bir fondan oluşan panonun içerisine tek figür olarak cepheden ve ayakta Başmelek Mikhail resmedilmiştir. Melek bir tunik üzerine, önü işlemeli bir zırh giymiştir. İki yana yayılmış açık kanatları yere kadar uzanan melek, bir eliyle omzuna dayanan kılıcı, diğeriyle kını aşağıya doğru tutmaktadır. Yatağan’da tespit edilen resimlerin ilki halk arasında Resimli Kaya olarak anılan anıtsal kaya kütlesinin güneybatısında yer almaktadır. Sıvasız yüzeye yapılmış olan resimler, doğu-batı doğrultusunda uzanan iki şerit üzerinde yer almaktadır. Üst şeritte tanımlanabilen ilk sahne Yahuda’nın ihanetidir. Tasvirin orta bölümünde ayakta, birinin gövdesi cepheden, diğerininki yandan resmedilmiş iki figür yer almaktadır. Soldaki İsa’yı, sağdaki Yahuda’yı temsil eden bu figürlerin birbirine yaslanmış başları cephedendir. Tasvirin devamına İsa’nın Çarmıha Gerilmesi resmedilmiştir. Kompozisyonun orta kısmında, çarmıhta İsa, Meryem ve Yahya yer almaktadır. Alt şeritte içinde büst formunda aziz, piskopos ya da kilise babalarına ait portelerin resmedildiği altı madalyan yer alır. Yatağandaki üçüncü resim, Resimli Kaya Kütlesinin kuzeyinde, taş bloklarının oluşturduğu Rozetli Mağara olarak adlandırdığımız küçük bir mekândadır. Sıva üzerine yapılmış resimlerde figüre yer verilmemiştir. Mekân içinde doğal yolla oluşmuş kubbemsi formun etrafı siyah, ince bir çizgiyle çerçevelenerek içerisi açık yeşil renkli kalın dairesel bir bordürle sınırlandırılmıştır. Dairesel çerçevenin sol dış köşesinin alt bölümünde, uzun yeşil yapraklı bir lale motifi yer almaktadır. Yatağan’daki dördüncü resimli yüzey, Resimli kayanın kuzeybatısında, Nişli Kaya olarak adlandırdığımız kaya kütlesinin batı yüzünde bulunan derin bir nişin içindedir. Nişin içi sıvanarak, tek sahneli bir resimle bezenmiştir. Sahnenin ortasına, Meryem ve kucağında çocuk İsa resmedilmiştir. Rozetli Mağara haricindeki resimlerin, üslupsal ve ikonokrafik özelliklerinden hareketle Orta Bizans dönemi içinde yapıldığı Resimli Kaya’nın 1. grup resimlerinin 2. evresinin de yine bu dönem içerisinde yenilendiği anlaşılmaktadır. Rozetli kayada yer alan resimlerin ise, üslup ve motif seçimleri İkonoklazma dönemine işaret etmektedir.

Figürliche Reliefs frühchristlicher Zeit in Kleinasien (4.-6. / 7. Jahrhundert n.Chr.)

In Asia Minor, only a relatively small number of reliefs with biblical depictions or images of saints from the early Christian period (fourth to sixth / seventh centuries AD) have been preserved. They represent an exceedingly small percentage of what was likely actually produced, with a substantial amount considered to be lost. This makes it difficult to classify the art based on geographic region, in comparison, for example, to the proliferation of the Roman grave reliefs of the second and third centuries. Nevertheless, Asia Minor was of an area of great importance for the theology of early Christianity. Numerous churches from the Early Byzantine period have been preserved or at least documented. Many were large and magnificent buildings, showing excellent masonry techniques, and some had unusual shapes. The churches were richly adorned with capitals, barrier plates, and ambons, as well as floor mosaics. Although only a few remnants of wall paintings and mosaics are preserved today, it can be assumed that most of churches possessed them. While there are portrait sculptures and busts of excellent quality, very few reliefs are based on the Bible. They are almost all very simple pieces, in terms of craftsmanship, with a few exceptions. The existence, not only, of the customary iconography, but also rare and unique character depictions of the reliefs of biblical scenes, illustrates the reach of the Byzantine Church in even the most remote areas of that region, shedding light on Late Antique art in Asia Minor as the heartland of the Byzantine Empire.

AESTHETICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF DECORATED WOODEN COVERS OF THE MANUSCRIPTS UNDER JAIN SCHOOL OF PAINTING IN THE MEDIVAL PERIOD

Jain school of paintings has a special feature in the wider perspective of Indian painting. The rich form of Jain art started in the form of sculptures and cave wall paintings. Later on, a new original form of Jain art started in the form of manuscript painting, which is based on various motifs of miniature style, such as - illustrated palm leaves, illustrated cloth paintings and illustrated paper books etc. Illustrated examples of Jain painting have been found in the handwritten texts made in all these motifs, along with these, the wooden covers which were kept above and below the manuscripts for the protection of these texts, have also been collected from private Collection and museums. These wooden covers were made to keep the palm leaves safe. Along with manuscript paintings, painters used to decorate these panels with beautiful figures and stories. The free expression of the painter can be seen in the depiction of these wooden covers. Like manuscripts, these plates also hold a special place in art history.There is a wonderful depiction of Indian animals and birds, geometrical shapes, design of bellflowers, columbines and religious symbols on these illustrated wooden covers of manuscripts. In addition to decorations, these panels also depict various contemporary events and cultural themes. Due to the uniqueness of designs and the amazing depiction of these wooden book covers it can be inferred that the painters who created them must have been highly skilled. These wonderful examples of paintings from Jain school of paintings have special importance in art history and Jain culture. The objective of the research is to do artistic analysis of these wooden manuscripts covers. Although analyzing all the collected data from the museums and manuscript centers was a challenging task for the researcher but eventually efforts were made to publicize the facts in detail.

Defect Isolation from Whole to Local Field Separation in Complex Interferometry Fringe Patterns through Development of Weighted Least-Squares Algorithm

In this paper, based on Gaussian 1σ-criterion and histogram segmentation, a weighted least-squares algorithm is applied and validated on digital holographic speckle pattern interferometric data to perform phase separation on the complex interference fields. The direct structural diagnosis tool is used to investigate defects and their impact on a complex antique wall painting of Giotto. The interferometry data is acquired with a portable off-axis interferometer set-up with a phase-shifted reference beam coupled with the object beam in front of the digital photosensitive medium. A digital holographic speckle pattern interferometry (DHSPI) system is used to register digital recordings of interferogram sequences over time. The surface is monitored for as long as it deforms prior to returning to its initial reference equilibrium state prior to excitation. The attempt to separate the whole vs. local defect complex amplitudes from the interferometric data is presented. The main aim is to achieve isolation and visualization of each defect’s impact amplitude in order to obtain detailed documentation of each defect and its structural impact on the surface for structural diagnosis purposes.

Connections in Making and Meaning of Bhutanese Wall Painting: Tango Utse, 17th to 20th Century

Connections in Making and Meaning of Bhutanese Wall Painting: Tango Utse, 17th to 20th Century

FORMATION OF THE ART DECORATION OF THE DUNGHUAN CAVES UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF EXTERNAL FACTORS

The influence of external factors on the formation of the figurative concept of Dunhuang wall paintings is analyzed. The purpose of the article is to highlight the processes of forming the artistic decoration of Dunhuang caves under the influence of external factors.
 The relevance of the research topic is due to the need to draw the attention of world scientists to the problem of research and preservation of the Dunhuang complex, since some of the frescoes are in a state of emergency and the exchange of experience of restorers from different countries is necessary for their preservation.
 The tasks of the study were to determine the role and significance of external factors in the activation or decline of the Dunhuang complex, and based on this to argue the dependence of the figurative concept of Dunhuang wall paintings on external factors (political, ideological, economic, social, natural and climatic).
 It is proved that the appearance of the Dunhuang Buddhist cave temple complex and the processes related to its construction were largely determined by external factors: at first, the commitment of the rulers of China to the new religion of Buddhism contributed to the activation of the process of creating new sanctuaries, and later under the influence of local philosophical and religious traditions as well as cultural and artistic preferences, there is a transformation of Buddhist fresco traditions borrowed from India, which acquires a local color in the conditions of China. It should be noted that while preserving the general canonicality of wall painting in the process of developing artistic skills, it acquires greater realism and the means of artistic expression are diversified with portraits of benefactors, scenes from their lives and landscape compositions.

TRANSFORMATION OF BORROWED PHENOMENA: THE BUDDHIST FRESCO IN DUNGHUAN AND THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE MOSQUES OF SHAANXI PROVINCE IN CHINA

The purpose of the article is to analyze the phenomenon of borrowing without being limited by a specific style, and on the basis of this to argue at which hierarchical level the transformation took place: at the level of composition, form or decor.
 The relevance of the research topic is determined by the need to analyze how local cultural and artistic traditions influenced the transformation of borrowed styles and what exactly the phenomenon of transformation consisted of, whether it was the same for several borrowed styles.
 As a result of the study of wall paintings in different periods, it was established that, according to the figurative concept of Dunhuang, the transformation was as follows:
 – a departure from the original Indian frescoes by complicating the compositions in the direction of three-dimensionality and polymorphism, diversifying polychromy, anatomical perfection, detailing and giving the image a national color through portrait images of founders in Chinese clothes, scenes from their lives, landscape images; 
 – therefore, in the Dunhuang frescoes, the transformation was focused on the planar images of the fresco (the role of ritual sculpture in the Dunhuang sanctuaries was much smaller). 
 Despite the fact that Islam never competed with Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism in terms of the number of believers in China, the rulers were friendly towards the construction of mosques. However, they are clearly dominated by Chinese traditions:
 – there are much more courtyards than in traditional mosques, and they are landscaped according to Chinese landscape design and have ponds with fish (this is a purely Chinese tradition);
 – the appearance of the pavilions and gates is purely Chinese: pavilions with a traditional Chinese silhouette, curved roofs with tiled roofs, complex multi-level eaves, open galleries on pillars, the use of traditional Chinese building materials (stone, brick, wood, tiles), bright polychromy, small detailing.
 So, in the case of mosques as well, Chinese culture radically changed their appearance, giving them maximum similarity with the temples of traditional religions.
 Thus, the transformation took place equally at all levels – planning, landscape design, three-dimensional form, plane with wall paintings and carvings.
 Later, this style manifested itself in the transformation of European Art Nouveau, which was also superimposed on local traditions.

Digital image-based method to identify historical pigments in wall paintings

In this paper, a new analytical approach based on smartphone digital-images analysis coupled to chemometrics is proposed to investigate the nature of different pigments of historical and cultural interest. To that end, wall painting replicas were prepared and painted with 9 different pigments covering three colors: yellow, blue, and green. The mockups were photographed with a smartphone, and the images calibrated using a reference color chart. Two approaches were tested: one based on commercial color charts, and other based on lab-made ad hoc charts. The former demonstrated to yield better results, and the calibrated CIELAB coordinates were used to build Support Vector Machines (SVM) as a classification method. The optimized SVMs were able to successfully classify each pigment based on corrected CIELAB color descriptors, with errors of prediction below 5 %. Overall, this paper proposes a fast and non-invasive analytical method based on image treatment and chemometrics to discriminate among historical pigments in wall painting replicas.

Living in the shadow of Vesuvius: Analysis of the wall paintings of Pollena Trocchia’s Roman buildings across historical eruptions

Through a multi-analytical approach the research focused on the evolution of wall painting technology used for two decorated buildings in Pollena Trocchia buried by volcanic deposits of Vesuvius. The study highlighted a different stratigraphy (with two or three layers) of mortar-based supports. Volcanic aggregate was added to lime binder for rinzaffo and arriccio, whereas calcite and marble dust first, then organogenic limestones were used for intonachino. Pictorial layers, applied using fresco and mezzo-fresco techniques, were obtained combining common (e.g., ochre) and expensive pigments (e.g., cinnabar, aragonite, Egyptian blue), showing diachronic changes in raw materials selection and the refinement of decoration.

Restoration of Monumental Painting in Ukraine in the 1950–1960s. Social Aspirations and Ideological Collisions

The purpose of the article is to consider the peculiarities of restoration of sites of monumental painting of Ukraine in the post-war years 1945-1960s in the context of the influence of social, economic, and ideological factors. The research methodology consists in the application of general scientific and special research methods, in particular, analysis, synthesis, induction and deduction, generalisation and abstraction, semitic, descriptive, which together made it possible to obtain well-founded conclusions. The scientific novelty consists in outlining the general directions and approaches in preserving the artistic heritage of the post-war period of the 1950s-1960s, identifying gains and losses. Conclusions. Against the background of the global scale of the destruction of cultural heritage monuments, which required the implementation of complex monument protection and restoration tasks, the foundations of scientific methodology in the field of restoration of wall paintings were formed. The increase in the pace and volume of the restoration of cultural and artistic monuments after the Second World War was affected by new challenges caused by the lack of a material, technical and methodological base, qualified human resources, and shortcomings in the organisation of work. At the same time, deep destructive manifestations caused by atheistic state policy with a pronounced totalitarian colour have become fatal for a number of Ukrainian historical and cultural monuments, introducing a contradictory character into the establishment of the restoration work in the country. Thanks to the active position of leading cultural figures and the founders of the new Ukrainian restoration school of monumental art – Luka Kalenichenko, Olha Plihusch, Yevhen Mamolat, the first post-war decades became decisive in the formation of the national restoration and monument protection industries. Keywords: monumental painting, restoration, restoration workshop, preservation of monuments.

A Unique Painting Ensemble Explored

The back room of 524 Herengracht in Amsterdam houses a painted ensemble of Arcadian landscapes, made in 1771 by the Amsterdam wall hanging painter Jurriaan Andriessen (1742-1819). Technical research has shown that a complex creative process underlies this ensemble, in which major changes were made at various times. It demonstrates the painter’s quest for a balanced composition. An essential element in the painted wall hangings of Andriessen, who is known to have arranged his compositions in such a way as to guide the viewer’s gaze and movement through the room. The research also showed various techniques Andriessen used in the production of his paintings. For instance, he used a special measuring system and squaring grids to transfer the compositions from small sketch to large format canvas (one square in the sketches corresponding to one square foot in the canvases). It also appears that the painter arranged his compositions in such a way that the canvases could be easily adjusted for size in the event that the opening in the panelling was a little larger or smaller than envisaged. It could also be shown that Andriessen painted some elements in the room itself. As was customary at the time, Andriessen allied the shadows in his wall hangings to the fall of the natural light in the room. Remarkably, the painter hereby adjusted the light-dark contrasts to the position of the paintings in the room. In the hangings next to the windows, for example, the contrasts are greatly increased, with which the painter anticipated the bright backlighting that affected one’s view of these paintings. This attests to its strong connection to the room. A connection that has been preserved thanks to the efforts that the Van den Santheuvel, Sobbe Foundation, and the Rijksmuseum took at the time to maintain the interior in situ.

THE INFLUENCE OF POLITICAL EVENTS AND IDEOLOGY ON THE FORMATION OF THE PICTURE CONCEPT OF DUNHUANG CAVES FRESCOS

The article is devoted to an analysis of the figurative concepts of the Dunhuang cave wall paintings. It was determined that, despite the fact that the Dunhuang wall painting is an example of Buddhist art, it represents a syncretism of Buddhism and local beliefs—Taoism and Confucianism—which manifested itself in the depiction of characters from Buddhism and Taoism in one plot. Dunhuang cave murals are not uniform in style and execution techniques. Its genesis testifies that in the early stages it was a literal borrowing of the ancient Indian traditions of Buddhist mural painting; instead, there was a gradual layering of local painting techniques from the Central Plains of China. This led to the diversification of cave wall paintings of later periods and eventually led to the formation of a specific stylistic direction of "Chinese secular Buddhism," in which realistic painting plays an important role—the portrait genre of benefactors and the landscape genre of "mountains and waters."

PROTOTYPE OF Ag@ZnO CORE SHELL FOR THE STERILIZATION OF MURAL PAINTINGS

Cultural heritage sites often experience the unfavorable alteration of biodeterioration of mural paintings and wall inscriptions. Controlling or preventing biodegradation that may occur has been achieved through the use of various treatment methods, such as physical, chemical, and environmental control procedures. Regrettably, these treatments are often highly toxic to the health of conservators and visitors. Moreover, it causes pigmentation, is expensive, has low long-term results, and has poor long-term effectiveness. The use of Ag@ZnO core shell prototype in the field of cultural heritage was the first time in this research. The application was made to a painted wall inscription that dates back to the Middle Kingdom of ancient Egypt. A one-step chemical method was used to synthesize Ag@ZnO and it was examined using XRD, TEM, BET surface area, and Raman. These tests proved that the silver's core shell covered the zinc oxide's core and confirmed its purity. The painting on the wall was analyzed by SEN-EDX, Raman, and XRD analysis, and it was determined that the stone was limestone, the pigments were (Carbon for black pigment, Hematite for a red pigment, and Egyptian blue for blue pigment). These pigments and animal glue were combined to create the binding medium. The painted wall inscription was treated with Ag@ZnO treatments using a spray technique with a 5% concentration. The spectrophotometer was used to confirm that the color change has been below 5. This treatment method is non-hazardous, can be utilized both in vivo and in vitro, and does not necessitate the required environmental atmosphere or UV index.