Paint Traces Research Articles

Wall painting of the 17th - 18th centuries in the church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in the village of Kolodne in Transcarpathia

The wall painting of the 17th - 18th centuries in the church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in the village of Kolodne Tyachiv district in Transcarpathia was examined. The church is one of the oldest monuments of wooden architecture in Ukraine and Europe. The purpose of the article is to carry out a stylistic analysis of the iconographic compositions of the preserved mural, arrange and systematize the factual material, restore the iconography of the destroyed parts of the wall painting. It was established that the iconographic subjects in the wall paintings are in the stage of severe destruction. It has been preserved, to a greater extent, in fragments, and the color palette has changed significantly over time. The stylistic analysis of the wall painting in the church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Kolodne is relevant in the context of preserving a valuable monument of Ukrainian monumental art. The scene "The Tree of Jesse" made in primitive folk style was examined on the western wall of the nave. Plot scenes under Jesse were revealed - "Abraham's Sacrifice" and "Cain and Abel", and in the lower part on the fence of the choirs - a cycle of plot scenes: "Creation of Adam", "Temptation", "Expulsion from Paradise". Among the paintings on the walls of the nave on the theme "Passion of the Lord", the iconographic subjects "Crucifixion", "Removal from the Cross", "Resurrection of Christ", etc. have been identified. It was determined that the influences of the Baroque style are clearly visible in the wall paintings of the nave. The iconographic program in the altar part of the church is considered, the stylistic performance of these paintings is characterized by graphicness, the use of local stains, and Renaissance features. In the upper part of the eastern wall of the altar, the use of the "Coronation of the Virgin" motif for the first time in a Western European wall painting was discovered. In the vestibule of the church there are traces of paint, which testify to the paintings of this room, which is the fact that the entire church was painted. It has been found that the wall painting in the church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Kolodne is characterized by a combination of different styles, along with naive painting there are decorated rocaille cartouches, winding lines, and baroque elements. In the ornaments that decorate the iconographic compositions in the church, there are geometric motifs that are popular in the Transcarpathian folk pattern: "braids", "zigzags", "rhombuses", etc. It is summarized that the stylistic development in monumental church wall painting in Transcarpathia was influenced by folk art. The transition to the Baroque style contributed to an increase in decorativeness, however, it, being transformed by church painters in a peculiar way, turned into a bright Ukrainian style.

Forensic Discrimination of White Architectural Paints via ATR FT-IR Spectroscopy and Chemometrics

The present work entailed the comparative examination and discrimination of white architectural paint samples of different brands/manufacturers. The analysis of this evidence can facilitate exhibiting a linkage between the victim, and the crime scene and assist in the reconstruction of the crime scene. Architectural paint traces have evidential value, especially in cases of burglary, acts of vandalism, property crimes, etc. In the present study, a total of 102 samples of 34 distinct brands (3 samples of each brand) of white commercially available architectural paints were purchased and analysed using ATR FT-IR spectroscopy and multivariate analytical tools. The use of visual analysis of FTIR spectral data resulted in 12 undifferentiated/ indistinguishable sample pairs with a discrimination power of 97.86%. Adding PCA and PLS-DA in concert with visual analysis of FTIR spectra resulted in 99.4% (3 sample pairs undifferentiated) and 100% discrimination power, respectively. In conclusion, samples of each brand were completely differentiated using ATR FT-IR spectra subjected to the PLS-DA model. To assess the impact of different substrates on the examination of paint chips, simulated samples were produced on different substrates and the obtained results from the substrates study have been summarized. The ATR-FTIR spectroscopy therefore suggests an objective and rapid approach for the discrimination of white architectural paints for forensic purposes.

A controlled method for the identification of forensic traces from clandestine grave fill

Deceased human remains are often buried as a forensic countermeasure or method of disposal by homicide perpetrators. Owing to this, the excavation of clandestine grave sites is a task that forensic crime scene teams may only encounter a few times a year. Not all crime scene units have specialised teams for this task, and even those that do, may not have specific protocols for the optimal recovery of forensic traces retained within grave fill as procedures such as sieving require optimisation for the specific soil conditions of the jurisdiction. This study aimed to define the optimal sieving conditions for a sandy environment when searching for minute traces of paint, glass, hair and fibres. Furthermore, this study justifies the practice of retaining grave fill and examining it under controlled laboratory conditions, rather than in-situ adjacent to the grave site. The results demonstrate that using sieve mesh sizes as fine as 0.1 mm can recover up to 82% of the deposited traces and almost all paint, hair and glass traces. The processing of grave fill in the laboratory lead to increased yield of forensic evidence, which on a case-basis may warrant the increased time needed. These findings merit consideration for clandestine grave crime scenes where evidence is scarce or the case is likely to become cold.

Interpretation of a paint cross-transfer on a burglary scene – A case report

In forensic paint examination, paint traces retrieved on a crime scene are regularly compared to painted objects seized from a suspect. Less often, traces are only observed on the seized objects and compared to a damaged painted object on the crime scene. In some specific cases, paint traces may be found both on the crime scene and on one or multiple seized painted objects. The latter may be the result of a cross-transfer that occurred during the illicit act. However, mere coincidence is another possible explanation for these observations and may not be neglected. Proper consideration of the relevant populations and sufficient analytical data permits the evaluation of the results given activity level propositions. This allows the forensic expert to present a transparent and well-balanced statement on the value of their findings concerning the disputed issues in court.

A Wooden comb from the excavations of medieval Pinsk: an experience of comprehensive research

The article introduces into scientific circulation a wooden comb from the excavations of medieval Pinsk. This comb was discovered in 1963 during the archaeological research under the leadership of P. F. Lysenko on the territory of the fortified part adjacent to the Pinsk stronghold. A feature of the comb is its linear-circular ornamentation, supplemented with a pigment of dark red colour. In order to study by non-destructive methods the pigment contained inside the elements of the circular ornament of the comb, as well as the macrostructure of the wood of the comb, the object was studied using a video spectral comparator Regula 4305D in infrared and ultraviolet light. Based on the study of the degree of penetration of infrared rays and the absence of luminescence in ultraviolet light, it was established that cinnabar could be used as a pigment. The study of the macrostructure and preservation of the wood of the comb allows us to say that it was made of boxwood. Taking into account the analogies found in the materials from the excavations of Novgorod, as well as items from the collections of world museums, the comb can be dated no earlier than the 15th century. Most likely, this comb was an object of import. The need for a more thorough primary processing of archaeological materials in the field in order to detect possible traces of paint on objects made of organic materials is noted.

Gods, Goddesses, and Mortals for the 21st Century: The Reinstallation of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts Collection of Ancient Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Art

Gods, Goddesses, and Mortals for the 21st Century: The Reinstallation of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts Collection of Ancient Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Art

A Luxurious Royal Estate from the First Temple Period in Armon ha-Natziv, Jerusalem

In a recent excavation at Armon ha-Natziv, overlooking ancient Jerusalem, remains were uncovered of a royal estate from the second half of the 7th century BCE. Although the site had been dismantled and it appears that only a small portion of it has been exposed to date, there are several indications of its former grandeur. The excavations exposed three complete medium-sized decorated volute capitals, beautifully carved and excellently preserved. Dozens of fragments of adorned architectural elements were exposed nearby; they can be restored to compose a window frame with an ornamented balustrade of miniature pillars capped with decorated volute capitals. Together with fragments of ashlars bearing traces of paint, they all appear to originate from a luxurious palace or villa. A rock-cut latrine with a seat—a marker of wealth in antiquity—was uncovered above a septic pit; microscopic examination detected parasite eggs from the digestive system, along with pollen from a variety of plants that grew on the grounds. This article examines the status of this unique site among the other Judahite sites in the region, in which contemporaneous monumental architectural finds indicate an administrative or government-oriented status.

Analysis of paint traces to determine the ship responsible for a collision

Although there have been many instances of ship collision at sea in recent times, not much research has been conducted on the topic. In this study, paint from an actual site of ship collision was collected and analyzed as evidence. The amount of evidence collected from the ships involved in the collision is either small or has inconsistent morphology. In addition, the contaminants and samples are often mixed in this evidence, making its analysis difficult. Paint traces of the damaged ship and the ship suspected to be responsible for the collision were compared through scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM–EDS), attenuated total reflection–Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR–FTIR), thermogravimetry (TG) and derivative thermogravimetry (DTG), and pyrolysis–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py–GC/MS) analyses. The ship responsible for the collision could be identified by characterization and by performing a comparative analysis of the extracted paint. Among the methods used in this study, Py–GC/MS can sensitively analyze even similar paints, and identified styrene and phthalic anhydride as the most prominent components of the paint used as evidence. The results obtained can be used to investigate the evidence collected from collision sites and to determine the ship responsible for the collision.

Light Catcher

Among his remarkable performance-based short films made in the garden of his family home, two films show the artist holding a mirror to both catch and reflect sunlight back to the camera and viewer. Such performances provide a fitting allegory for his relationship to the medium of photography. As a photographer Peter Finnemore is someone who catches and plays with light. Light is key to the pictures made in his home place in rural mid Wales, Gwendraeth House. The photographs relay the intimacy he has with his childhood home, which has been in his family for generations. Finnemore has been photographing his home for thirty years and his pictures are full of hints and suggestions, traces of those who live and lived there. With people’s passing, he is now its sole occupant and the house has become more and more a portrait of his own imagining, his dream space. Finnemore photographs feelingly and describes his home as “a dreaming centre to divine and survey the spaces between darkness and stars”. Working with black and white film and the chemical-based printing process his richly toned prints explore the opposition and gradations between non-light and light, negative and positive, with all their symbolic implications. Like film, the house and its rooms are seen as receptive and responsive spaces. In Dream Traces a partly decorated wall above a bed is animated both by the gestural traces of darker paint upon it and lighter rectangular areas where posters and pictures were once attached. The wall is not blank but a field of different energy forces, the slow photographic effect of the darkening of the wall around the absent pictures against the more immediate brushmarks of house paint at its edges. The wall is also suggestive of an awakening state, the sense of something not fully coming into consciousness. This is in contrast to the relative order and geometry introduced by the wooden bars of the bedstead and the clarity of the singing and piercing detail of the white dot at the centre of an eye, painted on glass. This Greek mati, used to ward off evil, becomes the focal point of this picture and cue to many objects and elements in his pictures that are felt to be imbued with energies and powers beyond their material form. [...]

Age of the Upper Paleolithic sites in Kapova and Ignatievskaya caves (Southern Ural): revision and interpretations of the radiocarbon dates

There are two caves containing groups of wall paintings of the Upper Paleolithic age known in the Southern Ural: Kapova (Shulgan-Tash) and Ignatievskaya (Yamazy-Tash). In total, about 200 pictorial motifs have been recorded in the Kapova cave, among which there are life-like depictions of Pleistocene animals (mammoth and rhinoceros). Some 180 pictorial motifs have been found in the Ignatievskaya cave, which also show images of the Pleistocene fauna (mammoth and rhinoceros), although less realistic than those in the Kapova cave. The cultural layers have been discovered in the cave sediments at both sites. Archaeological excavations in the Kapova cave revealed multiple cultural layers which contained remains of the hearths, stone artefacts, fragments of ochre, decorations made of stone and tusk, a piece of burnеd clay cup, bone tools and animal bones (some with traces of ochre paint). In the Ignatievskaya cave, the Paleolithic cultural layer contains numerous fragments of charcoal, stone artefacts, rare fragments of ochre, decorations made from teeth of arctic fox and bison and from mammoth tusk, as well as the bones of Pleistocene animals. In the past two decades, a series of radiocarbon dates has been reported by different researchers based on the charcoal and bones from the cultural layers in both caves. Seventeen dates have been reported for the Kapova cave, including 14 Upper Paleolithic, 2 Bronze Age and 1 modern dates. The materials from the cultural layer of the Ignatievskaya cave have yielded 6 radiocarbon dates; another 3 dates were obtained directly from the charcoal used for the black paintings in the cave. Our analysis of publications, in which the radiocarbon dates from the Upper Paleolithic cultural layers of the Kapova and Ignati-evskaya caves are used, has revealed that the dating results are often reported inaccurately or incompletely, which leads to serious errors in interpretations. In particular, the incorrect use of non-calibrated radiocarbon dates as calendar ages, completely changes the paleoclimatic context of the cave occupation; for the Kapova cave, for instance, such misinterpretation shifts the dates of the cave visiting and painting from the late part of the Last Glacial Maximum and early deglaciation to the Bølling-Allerød interstadial. In this paper, we revisit the published radiocarbon ages for these two Southern Ural sites, provide practical recommendations and re-emphasize the importance for accurate and complete reporting of radiocarbon ages in publications.

Colour Experiments. The Harpy Monument: a Section of the West Side

Reconstructions of ancient polychromy on statuary are often the result of meticulous scientific research: pigments and barely visible remnants of decoration are identified. A pigment, however, does not provide evidence of the character of the paint layer, i.e. whether it was opaque or translucent, matte or glossy. As no intact, original paint layers remain, there are many uncertainties regarding paints and painting techniques. What can be seen on marble are faint traces of paint. In the present paper I will draw on my study of the so-called Harpy monument: the questions posed, the methods applied, the series of tests that were conducted and my suggestion of a possible polychromy. My starting point was the idea that monuments send messages to the viewer: the size of the object and the materials with which it was made indicate the commissioner’s social and economic status. Figures and myths illustrate the cultural context, and they reflect values cherished by the commissioner. Colours and shades also transmit messages. The reconstructive part of the project was limited to one of the west side segments, a relief showing a woman enthroned, but in order to understand the monument as a whole its four sides were considered more broadly, taking into account its Anatolian context.

EROS AT JUNNAR: RECONSIDERING A PIECE OF MEDITERRANEAN ART

In 1969 on a riverside near the Lenyardi caves (about 5 kilometres from present-day Junnar, in the Indian state of Maharashtra), Dr Satish Deshmukh discovered an alabaster object in the form of half an egg (longitudinally cut) with a young male child lying inside it (with small traces of red paint on the right side of the object). This high-quality oval object (figures 1 and 2) measures about 5 cm × 3.4 cm and is usually interpreted as an item that was originally manufactured in the Mediterranean world before being brought to India, rather than a piece of artwork produced in India itself. One possible, and largely accepted, interpretation is that this figure represents the birth of the god Eros. However, identification of the figure within the egg-like structure is not easily made. While the figure does bear similarities to the putto-style representation of Eros in instances of Greek and Roman art, it does not possess any clear identifying features (such as the wings with which Eros is often depicted). The figure's resemblance to Eros in some of his other iconographic depictions and the egg-like structure around him suggest a possible identification of this infant with Eros and the myth of his birth from an egg. However, without evidence from other iconography of a more clearly identifiable Eros in similar contexts, the figure cannot be said to be him with any certainty. As Dhavalikar notes, this object ‘is the only one of its kind among the classical antiquities so far found in the Indian subcontinent and perhaps has no parallel in the classical world’. Thus the identification of this sculpture as a depiction of Eros in the egg is possible, but not certain.

ON THE PROBLEM OF WOMEN STATUS IN THE CULTURE OF KAZAKHSTAN POPULATION OF THE SAKA AGE (According to Materials from East Aral Sea Region)

Materials from the Early Iron Age cemeteries of the Southern Tagisken (VII—V centuries BC) and Uygarak (VI—VI centuries BC), studied by the Khorezm archaeological and ethnographic expedition under the direction of S. P. Tolstov in the early 1960s, are a source for the analysis.
 Materials of the sixteen mounds of South Tagisken and twenty-two of Uygarak are analyzed in the article. More than half of the mounds of South Tagisken and Uygarak have a diameter of up to 20 m. The head of the deceased is predominantly oriented to the west. Dromos was recorded only in two South Tagisken mounds and not recorded in Uygarak. Burials at the level of the ancient horizon in South Tagisken were recorded once, while in Uygarak they were recorded four times. A very small number of sacrificial animal parts in the graves of South Tagisken and Uygarak draws attention.
 An analysis of the South Tagisken and Uygarak subject complex shows that the women graves had products made of metal, bone, and stone. Among such products are: elements of horse equipment, knives, mirrors, altars, jewelry, mirrors, distaff. Weapons are rarely found in women burials of South Tagisken and Uygarak.
 Probably the functions of the woman were only restricted to housekeeping in the culture of the population that left the South Tagisken and Uygarak cemeteries. Women also served as servants of the cults, which is reflected in the presence of traces of red paint found on pestles, altars, pistils, as well as on tools and devices made of bone.

An original molecular approach to the use of clay minerals in the formulation of oil-based dyes and their sensitivity toward polar solvents - A case study

Several restorers of paintings have reported the sensitivity of oil paints toward polar solvents during the chemical cleaning of the surface of the pictorial layer. In this study, a novel mechanism for this phenomenon is described based on the chemical analysis of the pictorial layer of a nineteenth century painting and the swab used in the cleaning of this layer. The pigments used were characterized by FTIR and SEM-EDS and the presence of kaolinite, a clay mineral, was observed in all areas that showed sensitivity. The binder was characterized by GC–MS as a mixture of linseed and walnut oils. SEM analysis showed the presence of pigments adhered to the cotton as well as the presence of kaolinite. GC–MS results for the swab showed the absence of oil in the paint traces present. Thus, the oil and its degradation products are not sensitive toward the polar solvent, but only the pigment and the kaolinite. Since kaolinite is hygroscopic, it aids the leaching of the pigment of the oil layer onto the swab containing the polar solvent.

MA-XRF and hyperspectral reflectance imaging for visualizing traces of antique polychromy on the Frieze of the Siphnian Treasury

Of the once colourful decoration of antique Greek statues only few traces remain today. But these allow one to reconstruct part of the polychromy, based on visual and microscopic inspection and spot analysis with spectroscopic methods. For the first time we used mobile hyperspectral reflectance imaging in the visible and near infrared range and scanning macro XRF imaging for the investigation of remnants of antique polychromy on a stationary object. With this method of analysis we were able to reveal previously unknown traces of ancient paint on the Frieze of the Siphnian Treasury (around 525 BCE). This illustrates the capabilities of this techniques to obtain new insights in a well-described and investigated object. Further, we gained insight into the painting technique, involving an earth based preparation layer. Finally, we present an alternative way to the treatment of the hyperspectral reflectance data in order to obtain easily readable pigment distribution images in case of heterogeneous illumination.

"We Will Show the Country": Bringing History to Life

"We Will Show the Country": Bringing History to Life

Topological invariants can be used to quantify complexity in abstract paintings

Abstract art screams of complexity: its visual language purposely creates complex images that are a distorted artist-driven vision of the real world. Complexity can be recognized from either the composition, form, color, brightness, among other aspects. In this paper we show that it is possible to objectively assess the complexity of abstract paintings by determining the values of the Betti numbers associated with the image. These quantities, which are topological invariants, capture the amount of connectivity and spatial distribution of the paint traces. We apply this analysis to a series of abstract paintings, demonstrating that the complexity of Jackson Pollock paintings produced by his famous dripping technique, is superior compared with many other abstract paintings by different authors. Opposed to what was previously discussed considering only fractal properties, the complexity does not simply increase with time; instead, it displays a local maximum at a certain year which coincides with the time when Pollock perfected his technique. This tool has been used before to measure complexity in other scientific areas, but not for art assessment.

Ein Fund in der Museumssammlung. Ein Heiliger Jakobus aus Kalkstein in der Sammlung behauener Steine des Tallinner (Revaler) Stadtmuseums

The Collection of Ashlars at the Tallinn City Museum includes a sculpture that stands 52.5 cm tall and is hewn from Lasnamägi limestone (Abb. 1). It depicts a slender man in a long robe, with a staff and travel bag around his neck. The statue has been seriously damaged. In addition to the broken front, its head is also missing – all that has survived is part of its beard. The goal of the article is to more closely examine the sculpture, which has not received any attention to date, in order to determine who it depicts, where it could be been located, and examine the surviving traces of paint. The primary motivation for writing the article is the fact that very few medieval three-dimensional stone sculptures have survived in Estonia. Also, this figure has not been dealt with or even mentioned in earlier writings. It can be said that, regardless of the damage it has suffered, the sculpture is complete enough to determine who is depicted. As stated above, the man has a walking stick or staff in his right hand and, based on the surviving fragments, a book in his right hand. On the partially surviving bag, we see the image of a scallop (Abb. 2). The staff and scallop tell us that this is a figure of St James. The sculpture is gothic in style, and based thereon, it can be dated back to the 15th or early 16th century. The sculptural material – Lasnamägi limestone – arouses attention. Where was this sculpture to be placed? We cannot dismiss the fact that the figure of the saint comes from a sacral building, but there could also have been saints in residential buildings, for example, on exterior facades or somewhere indoors. In summary, one must admit that the original location of the sculpture can only be speculated upon and definite answers are not possible. However, what is certain is that this is the work of a skilled master. Regardless of the fact that Lasnamägi limestone is not the best sculptural material, the work is finely hewn and well-proportioned. The sculpture is now on display in the new Estonian National Museum building.

Pattern Recognition-Assisted Infrared Library Searching of the Paint Data Query Database to Enhance Lead Information from Automotive Paint Trace Evidence.

Multilayered automotive paint fragments, which are one of the most complex materials encountered in the forensic science laboratory, provide crucial links in criminal investigations and prosecutions. To determine the origin of these paint fragments, forensic automotive paint examiners have turned to the paint data query (PDQ) database, which allows the forensic examiner to compare the layer sequence and color, texture, and composition of the sample to paint systems of the original equipment manufacturer (OEM). However, modern automotive paints have a thin color coat and this layer on a microscopic fragment is often too thin to obtain accurate chemical and topcoat color information. A search engine has been developed for the infrared (IR) spectral libraries of the PDQ database in an effort to improve discrimination capability and permit quantification of discrimination power for OEM automotive paint comparisons. The similarity of IR spectra of the corresponding layers of various records for original finishes in the PDQ database often results in poor discrimination using commercial library search algorithms. A pattern recognition approach employing pre-filters and a cross-correlation library search algorithm that performs both a forward and backward search has been used to significantly improve the discrimination of IR spectra in the PDQ database and thus improve the accuracy of the search. This improvement permits inter-comparison of OEM automotive paint layer systems using the IR spectra alone. Such information can serve to quantify the discrimination power of the original automotive paint encountered in casework and further efforts to succinctly communicate trace evidence to the courts.

Evidential significance of automotive paint trace evidence using a pattern recognition based infrared library search engine for the Paint Data Query Forensic Database

A prototype library search engine has been further developed to search the infrared spectral libraries of the paint data query database to identify the line and model of a vehicle from the clear coat, surfacer-primer, and e-coat layers of an intact paint chip. For this study, search prefilters were developed from 1181 automotive paint systems spanning 3 manufacturers: General Motors, Chrysler, and Ford. The best match between each unknown and the spectra in the hit list generated by the search prefilters was identified using a cross-correlation library search algorithm that performed both a forward and backward search. In the forward search, spectra were divided into intervals and further subdivided into windows (which corresponds to the time lag for the comparison) within those intervals. The top five hits identified in each search window were compiled; a histogram was computed that summarized the frequency of occurrence for each library sample, with the IR spectra most similar to the unknown flagged. The backward search computed the frequency and occurrence of each line and model without regard to the identity of the individual spectra. Only those lines and models with a frequency of occurrence greater than or equal to 20% were included in the final hit list. If there was agreement between the forward and backward search results, the specific line and model common to both hit lists was always the correct assignment. Samples assigned to the same line and model by both searches are always well represented in the library and correlate well on an individual basis to specific library samples. For these samples, one can have confidence in the accuracy of the match. This was not the case for the results obtained using commercial library search algorithms, as the hit quality index scores for the top twenty hits were always greater than 99%.