Organic Materials in Wall Paintings

New methodology for the identification of organic materials used in wall paintings

Project Details

A large crack runs through an ancient wall painting in a building in Herculaneum, Italy

About

Goal

Historically, wall paintings are made with a variety of supports, types of plaster, pigments, and binders. Understanding the nature and behavior of the materials used is essential for conservation and maintenance. While identifying inorganic components in wall paintings is relatively straightforward, identifying organic materials remained a challenge. Organic Materials in Wall Paintings aimed to develop a methodology for the identification of organic materials used in wall paintings.

Outcomes

  • Evaluated portable techniques for organic materials identification to assess both the accuracy of the results and the level of information provided by each technique.
  • Results of the evaluation of investigation techniques were presented at a symposium on May 12, 2006, at the Conservation Center of La Venaria Reale.
  • Approximately 60 references to organic materials identification in historic wall paintings have been identified and stored in a database, organized by author, date, type and period of the wall painting studied, techniques used, and type/class of organic materials found.
  • Hundreds of wall painting replicas by Leonetto Tintori simulating different techniques and material combinations were also cataloged, allowing for identifying sectors by binder, pigment, and phase of application.
  • Noninvasive research work began in spring 2005 on the wall paintings cycle of The Stories of St. Stephen and St. John the Baptist by Filippo Lippi in the Cathedral of Saint Stephen's Cathedral in Prato, in conjunction with a conservation project being carried out under the supervision of the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage.
  • Publication of the final project report, Organic Materials in Wall Paintings

Background

Historically, wall paintings are made with a variety of supports, types of plaster, and painting materials (pigments and binders). The knowledge of the nature and of the behavior of the materials used is fundamental to ensuring appropriate conservation and maintenance procedures. While identifying inorganic components in wall paintings today is a relatively straightforward process, doing the same for organic materials remains a challenge.

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