IDENTIFICATION OF THE BINDING MEDIA OF POST BYZANTINE WALL PAINTINGS WITH CHROMATOGRAPHIC TECHNIQUES

• E. Ioakeimoglou (Department of Conservation of Antiquities and Works of Art, T.E.I. of Athens, Ag. Spyridonos str., 122 10 Egaleo, Greece)
• E. Kavalieratou (Lemessou 6, Papagou 156 69, Attiki, Greece)
• S. Zevgiti (Char. Trikoupi 49, Ioannina, Greece)
• K. Stoupathis (Vatatzi 47, 114 74 Neapoli, Attiki, Greece)
• H. Kouloumbi (National Gallery of Athens, Vas. Konstadinou 50, 116 10 Athens, Greece)

This study deals with the identification of the painting media used in wall paintings of the Holy Monastery of St. Dennis of Mount Athos. The murals were painted on dry mortar and date back to the 16th Century. The painting technique is Known as A Secco, in which the artist is mixing the pigments with proteins /organic glues in order to create a stable painting layer.

The forming of an austere formula, which refers to the analysis of the organic media (based on the painting technique of a wall painting) according to the Physicochemical Methods - is a very important matter for every scientist or artist worldwide.

The monastery of St. Dennis and its murals are very interesting according to the projects and the painting techniques. Five samples from various areas of the wallpaintings were examined.

Thin cross sections were taken from the painting layers and the support (mortars), were the examination took place in order to find differences and to identify what were the kinds of binding media.

The basic stages of this experimental process were:

The samples of the painting media were taken from the surface with surgical steel blades in order to isolate the various color layers.

These were examined by the following techniques:

The basic question was, "how can the results of the analysis of the painting media (as these from the murals) can lead to the identification of the specific proteins that were used? Especially when we know that after so many years a great decomposition of the media has been remarked.

Results: The experimental process lead to the identification of various biding media, as skin glue. Casein, and egg yolk.