DOI Heft:
No. 3
DOI Artikel:Jędrzejewska, Hanna: The conservation of wall-paintings from Faras
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.17161#0096
1. The Journey of the Magi (?), early 8th century (after conservation)
also the original substance of the objects. Ali technical operations have been adjusted to these
reąuirements. Not a smallest fragment of the original painting can be lost in the course of ma-
nipulations, but also no additions are allowed (retouching, inpainting, reconstruction, etc).
The authenticity of the paintings has to be preseryed unimpaircd. On the other hand
the sometimes fragmentary condition of the remains can not be unduly underlined by treatments
of conservation, and the defects have to be blended as far as possible.
The most important technical reąuirement, in accordance with modern principles of con-
servation, is to apply materials and techniques of essentially reversible naturę. Tbis is for the
benefit of futurę restorers in case anything went wrong with the present operations.
The structure of the paintings
The plasters are based on Nile mud and sand. A Iight finishing ground (white, yellowish,
grayish) of varying thicknesses follows. The pigments in the paintings are: iron reds and yellows,
carbon black, malachite, and gypsum white. The medium is an organie materiał, water soluble,
most probably plant gum. The consistency of the paint must have been rather thick. The paint
layer is compact, and the brush strokes are often clearly visible. There is a tendency to scaling
rather than to powdering. Smali differences in the painting techniąues at various periods can
be observed. Sometimes there are traces of a preliminary drawing in red (the "sinopia"). The
sizes of the paintings vary from a few square decimeters to several sąuare meters. Paintings
from a niche, arch and apse have curved shapes, the remaining ones are piane.
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also the original substance of the objects. Ali technical operations have been adjusted to these
reąuirements. Not a smallest fragment of the original painting can be lost in the course of ma-
nipulations, but also no additions are allowed (retouching, inpainting, reconstruction, etc).
The authenticity of the paintings has to be preseryed unimpaircd. On the other hand
the sometimes fragmentary condition of the remains can not be unduly underlined by treatments
of conservation, and the defects have to be blended as far as possible.
The most important technical reąuirement, in accordance with modern principles of con-
servation, is to apply materials and techniques of essentially reversible naturę. Tbis is for the
benefit of futurę restorers in case anything went wrong with the present operations.
The structure of the paintings
The plasters are based on Nile mud and sand. A Iight finishing ground (white, yellowish,
grayish) of varying thicknesses follows. The pigments in the paintings are: iron reds and yellows,
carbon black, malachite, and gypsum white. The medium is an organie materiał, water soluble,
most probably plant gum. The consistency of the paint must have been rather thick. The paint
layer is compact, and the brush strokes are often clearly visible. There is a tendency to scaling
rather than to powdering. Smali differences in the painting techniąues at various periods can
be observed. Sometimes there are traces of a preliminary drawing in red (the "sinopia"). The
sizes of the paintings vary from a few square decimeters to several sąuare meters. Paintings
from a niche, arch and apse have curved shapes, the remaining ones are piane.
82