Kovács Petronella (szerk.): Isis - Erdélyi magyar restaurátor füzetek 16. (Székelyudvarhely, 2016)

Sor Zita: Digitális nyomatok a gyűjteményekben

The figures in the paintings of the lowest register are more emphatic and elaborated. Their faces are more expressive. The puckers of garments and the colours are rather realistic. The first signs of the intention to the naturalistic representation can be noticed here. The additive composition is characteristic in the scenes; the figures are depicted lined up next to each other. The attempt to illustrate the space is much more effective here than in the upper registers.

In the lower register too, the background was painted first, and then the figures. The figures were differentiated by their size and quality. Only a few colours were used, but with much more shades of colour and with more variety. The light-grey of the background was achieved with a mixture of carbon black of vegetal origin and lime. The background which seems to be dark blue was painted with carbon black. The yellowish brown colour was made with ochre and carbon, the red and orange of the garments was painted with mixture of ochre and red ochre. The highlights were made with lime.

Compared the plaster of the upper register with the plaster used in the two lower registers, by stereo-microscopic examination it could be foud that their colour and composition are completely different. The silt fraction of the upper one is almost white, while the lower one is quite dark, and contains iron. Probably the sand used for the plasters was taken from different areas.

With the help of microscopic examination it could be determined that the plaster of the two upper registers is completely identical with the plaster of the mural painting fragments found at the southern part of the tower, hidden behind a buttress. This demonstrates that the tower of the church had been there already when the paintings were made.

Based on the results of the research it seems that the pictures of the two upper registers in the church and the remnants under the buttress were painted at the end of the 14th century. The scene of the Last Judgement and the painting representing the Madonna enthroned above the portico could be made in the first third of the 15th century.

Erika Tímea Nemes

Painting restorer MA, doctoral student

Translated by: Márta Kissné Bendefy

Eva Galambos - Zsuzsanna Váli -Ákos Török - Erika Nemes

Color alteration and investigation of the mural paintings at the church of Almakerék (Malmkrog)

Based on the pigment investigations, the coloration of the wall paintings in the sanctuary of the church of Almakerék (Malmkrog) has been altered, and what we can see today of the medieval mural paintings differs substantially from the original appearance.

This alteration was primarily caused by the chemical effect of the water-soluble salts, which affected especially

the pigments containing lead and copper. The moisture and the water-soluble salts are at the root of the weakening and flaking of the plaster and painted layers as well.

The blue azurite has turned green on surfaces, where salts and pigments formed copper chloride. Where the surface was more affected by water leakage, the painted layers were washed off to the extent that only the underpainting or the plaster is left seen.

Similarly, some parts of the original spherulitic malachite pigment layers were transformed into copper chloride, but since this is also a green product, the chemical transformation did not cause a significant change in color.

It is easy to deduce the original coloring and iconography on surfaces, like the vault with the representation of the starry sky or the blue cloak of the Mother of Christ. But in the middle and lower zones of the vertical wall sections it was difficult to determine what used to be the original color of the robes of the Saints, and thus to identify them.

A similar problem of identification arises with the brownish-gray colors which can be seen on the vault. The original color in these cases can only be assessed by examination and analysis.

Characteristic of the upper zones of the wall paintings, the brownish-black layer containing copper oxide, originally was malachite green, which now appears in a variety of shades and tones: greyish, brownish, black, and sometimes white.

The color of the originally red lead on the frames of the scenes looks blackish, greyish, brownish, and sometimes even white and orange is generated by color change there.

There are many gradient color changing on the patterns as well. In the case of lead containing paint layers it is to be determined whether they were originally painted with red minium, or was there any lead yellow, lead white used as well, because the alteration products of any of these pigments are the same: lead oxide or lead chloride.

The changes are largely due to the chemical effect of salts migrating to the surface of the wall. The process can no longer be reversed; the restorer can either stop or slow down the decay process.

The mitigation of moisture supply is an important goal, but in certain pigments - eg. those ones containing lead - these changes almost always occur over time in an alkaline medium.

Material analysis and damage mapping documentation' was carried out, the building materials and moisture zones were determined, these were also important for planning the possible restoration interventions.

Where local conservation should be carried out, the presence of higher salt concentration and hygroscopic salts can obstruct the work processes and the delivery of treating agents into the porous system. Thus the local removal of salts may be necessary in these areas.

Kiss Lóránd and coworkers

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