Chemometric Tools to Point Out Benchmarks and Chromophores in Pigments through Spectroscopic Data Analyses

Spectral preprocessing data and chemometric tools are analytical methods widely applied in several scientific contexts i.e., in archaeometric applications. A systematic classification of natural powdered pigments of organic and inorganic nature through Principal Component Analysis with a multi-instruments spectroscopic study is presented here. The methodology allows the access to elementary and molecular unique benchmarks to guide and speed up the identification of an unknown pigment and its recipe. This study is conducted on a set of 48 powdered pigments and tested on a real-case sample from the wall painting in S. Maria Delle Palate di Tusa (Messina, Italy). Four spectroscopic techniques (X-ray Fluorescence, Raman, Attenuated Total Reflectance and Total Reflectance Infrared Spectroscopies) and six different spectrometers are tested to evaluate the impact of different setups. The novelty of the work is to use a systematic approach on this initial dataset using the entire spectroscopic energy range without any windows selection to solve problems linked with the manipulation of large analytes/materials to find an indistinct property of one or more spectral bands opening new frontiers in the dataset spectroscopic analyses.

Iconography and Social Practice in the Domestic Sphere

This chapter examines the role of images in the Roman domestic sphere, focusing on the contribution of paintings, mosaics, and other forms of representation to the construction of the Roman house as a place of self-representation and social interaction. Images were essential to the purposes of both shaping the environmental quality of domestic spaces and informing visitors about their character, function, and the behavior that was required from them. The case study of an apparently minor genre of Roman wall painting, that of still-life pictures (i.e., images of food and silverware), allows in-depth discussion of how the choice and understanding of subject matters depended on and relied upon shared mechanisms of recognition, as well as a tight semantics of meanings, values, and habits.

Revealing Underdrawings in Wall Paintings of Complex Stratigraphy with a Novel Reflectance Photoacoustic Imaging Prototype

Revealing precious hidden features by a completely non-invasive approach is one of the crucial issues in the Heritage Science field. In this regard, concealed fresco paintings still represent an analytical challenge. This paper addresses the specific issue in wall painting diagnostics by the photoacoustic (PA) imaging technique, already proven to be efficient in revealing underdrawings and internal stratigraphy in movable paintings on paper and canvas. A newly set-up reflection PA prototype was applied here for the first time to probe the charcoal, graphite and sinopia hidden sketch drawings in concealed (gypsum, limewash, overpainted) wall paintings. The results presented here push forward the frontiers of the PA imaging technique and point to its potential effectiveness of revealing hidden underdrawings in historical wall paintings with complex stratigraphy.

Tradition and historical reconstruction in modern Church art on the example of the “Apocalypse” by Nikolai Masteropulo (from the point of view of the Medievalist)

The article deals with Apocalypse cycle of cloisonné enamels created in the early 2000-s by Russian and Greek artist Nilolaos Masteropoulos. The article analyses the concept of this creation, conceived as an actual art work made by medieval tool — ancient technique of cloisonné enamel, reconstructed and reconceived by the artist. The choice of the old technique which disappeared in byzantine tradition in 13th century is united with the subject which was not typical for byzantine art at all and appeared only in the early 15th century in the wall painting of Annunciation Cathedral of Moscow Kremlin, ordered by Russian prince and painted by Byzantine artist Theophanes the Greek. This union, demonstrating the artist’s deep knowledge in the art history and scientific literature, does not turn this Apocalypse into intellectual rebus or kind of historical reconstruction. Reviving ancient techniques and using ancient symbols, Nikolaos Masteropulos created an actual art work, intended for beholding by his contemporaries.

The Great Prehistoric Art Swindle: André Breton and Palaeolithic Cave Painting

At Pech Merle in 1952, André Breton provoked a controversial incident by damaging a Palaeolithic wall painting that he suspected to be a fake. This episode provides an insight into the contested status of prehistoric sites in post-war France and the theoretical and ideological implications of their cultural mobilization. Such sites allowed for a disavowal of wartime trauma and supported the reaffirmation of French national identity and its civilizing mission by locating the birthplace of human culture on French soil. Yet their extreme age also threw into relief the relative fragility of the recently invented nation-state. Breton's vandalism cast doubt on the models of cultural progress and pre-eminence that sought to instrumentalize prehistoric art but failed to appreciate the subversiveness of its ‘deep’ history. Ironically, however, Breton's scepticism ultimately enhanced the subversive dimension of archaeology by allowing it to demonstrate the authenticity and age of cave art.

Investigation of Ancient Wall Painting Fragments Discovered in the Roman Baths from Alburnus Maior by Complementary Non-Destructive Techniques

In this study, several wall painting fragments discovered in the Roman baths from the archeological site Alburnus Maior (Roşia Montană, Romania) were analyzed with the aim to investigate the material composition of both plasters and pictorial layers. Dated from the beginning of the second century AD, these rare findings stand among the oldest examples of preserved decorative polychrome paintings on plaster excavated thus far in the former territory of the Roman province of Dacia. A non-destructive multi-analytical approach based on complementary techniques was considered: Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV fluorescence, and hyperspectral imaging (HSI). The obtained results highlight a common Roman color palette mainly based on naturally occurring earth pigments. Red ochre, yellow ochre, manganese-rich ochres/wads, carbon black, and calcite were identified. A traditional two-layer sequence of plasters was found—arriccio (based on lime and siliceous sands), and intonaco (pure lime). The presence of an organic protein binder, identified via FTIR analysis, and sustained by combined imaging documentation, indicates that the pigments were applied a secco. The obtained results are discussed in relation to previous published data, and they can be considered as valuable archeological indicators that contribute to the understanding of the painting techniques and the materials used in the Roman provinces.

Innovative design of wall painting pattern based on microprocessor system and evolutionary computer technology

With the improvement of people’s living standards, people pay more and more attention to the indoor living environment. This research mainly discusses the research and realization of the innovative design of wall painting patterns based on the microprocessor system and the evolution of computer technology. Pattern design is an important field in art design. The understanding of pattern design in modern design is all patterns, graphics, and even symbols that can cause visual beauty and convey information. Its form can be flat or three-dimensional. Evolutionary Computation is a highly parallel, random and adaptive search algorithm developed based on natural selection and evolutionary mechanisms in the biological world. This article proposes a sub-graphics exchange method, the main idea is to achieve the overall aesthetic effect by exchanging the corresponding individual sub-graphics. The system can naturally store the pattern library. The wall painting works selected by the user and the simulation environment image are merged to generate a wall painting simulation effect diagram. In the process of wall painting pattern design, if you encounter a satisfactory pattern during evolution, you can save its parameters into the pattern database at any time. In the rendering simulation stage, if the user chooses to import wall photos by himself, the image format should be in jpg format, and the camera angle should be as close to the wall as possible, so that the wall painting pattern can be mapped vertically on the wall. The processor correctly realized the multi-core JPEG decoding function, and the system pattern processing efficiency reached 91%. The pattern design system designed in this study is highly innovative.