The consequences of wooden structures consolidation through traditional techniques on

the resistance of support panels and paint layers

(Some case study - Stelea Monastery Targoviste, Humor Monastery and Arbore
Monastery)

Gheorghe Niculescu, Migdonia Georgescu

National Research Institute for Conservation and Restoration, Bucharest, Romania

Abstract
The major part of Romanian icons, preserved in churches and churches’ museums, has suffered a xylophages
insects attack, sometimes resulting in a considerable loss of mechanical strength of the panel.
In time, various methods aiming to restore the panel resistance were tested, as impregnation with consolidant
substances and inserting wedges of different materials, hoping in an improvement of the icons state of
conservation. In most cases the results were far from those foreseen by restorers.
In this paper, we propose a new consolidation method, based on mechanical properties of the wooden panel
support and of the pictorial layer.

1. INTRODUCTION
The majority of Romanian icons, especially those from XVI-XIX centuries, are painted on panels of
soft wood, like lime – the most widespread, poplar or coniferous trees. Icons on hard wood panels, as
oak or beach, are rarely found.
For this reason the major part of the icons preserved onto this day has suffered a xylophages insects
attack, sometimes resulting in a considerable loss of mechanical strength of the panel.
In time, various methods aiming to restore the panel resistance were tested, as impregnation with
consolidant substances and inserting wedges of different materials, hoping in an improvement of the
icons state of conservation. In most cases the results were far from those foreseen by restorers.
As an exemplification is presented the case of icons from the church and museum of Stelea Monastery
- Targoviste, as well as the icons and iconostasis of Humor and Arbore Monasteries, displaying a large
range of deteriorations, frequently found in the majority of the orthodox icons collections from
Romania.

2. EXPERIMENTAL SECTION
The icons from Stelea Monastery were reinforced by two traditional methods: impregnation and
inserting of some new wood fragments on the icon back. Most of the interventions implied both
treatments.
In most cases, the impregnation was carried out using a wax-colophony mixture, imparting a greater
mechanical resistance to the wooden panel. However the results were not quite satisfactory for many
reasons:
- the impregnation is not uniform, as the liquid penetrates through the exit holes of xylophages
insects, randomly distributed
- in some cases, due to the correspondence between the insect channels and because the
consolidant is poured in a liquid form the wax-colophony mixture reaches the painted surface,
deteriorating it
- the increase of material density in the impregnated areas (about 5 times greater, in our
estimation) creates additional strains at the level of already existent cracks, resulting in a fracture
along the incipient fissure
- the most destructive consequence is the formation, on the icon back, of a barrier for water vapors
as well as for the xylophage insects resistant to disinfection (as a rule, this is the case of heavily
contaminated icons, the biocide treatment being carried out by brushing, the eggs and the larvae
deposited in depth are not destroyed). So, the exit holes will appear also onto the icon front side,
increasing the deterioration of the pictorial layer. At the best, the final result would be a
 reinforced solid panel, usually very heavy, on which the pictorial layer – the image intended to
be preserved – will would deteriorate even more rapidly than before consolidation.
Taking into account the above facts, the restorer Dinu Savescu suggested a completely different
restoration method, based on the following considerations:
- the pictorial layer has an insignificant weight comparing to the wood panel itself, thus a very
solid panel is unnecessary.
- the xylophages biological attack, especially on soft wood, is directed to the areas between the
wood fibers, the panel preserving its mechanical resistance to a greater extent than expected.
- the consolidation of some areas is feasible using soft material, like balsa wood. Thus, the density
of the support material is not essentially modified.
- some local consolidations may be done (but not by impregnation), depending on support
resistance and the intended exhibition manner, or the exhibition on horizontal plane is
recommended for museum icons.
- another possibility is the construction of an aluminum straps structure, onto which the back of the
icons is attached with mobile cup holders, sliding on the straps. This system allows a prevention
of strains resulting from the dimensional variations of the support (method initially proposed by
Istituto Centrale del Restauro, in use today in most European museums).
- avoiding the impregnation, the access of biocide substances to xylophages insects is facilitated
and can be repeated in various phases of the insects life cycle.
- even in the case of adult individuals growth the number of exit holes on the icon front side will
be much smaller.

St. George icon from Stelea Monastery Fragment of icon from Stelea Monastery
- The collapse of the pictorial layer because of the xylophagous - The leakage of the consolidation solution on
attack - the face of the painted layer -

The Virgin icon (fragment) from Stelea Monastery Floral adornment from Stelea Monastery
- Detachments in the shape of a roof because of the expulsion of - The inefficiency of the consolidation by
water through the painted face - impregnation with wax and colophony -

The Iconostases of the churches of Humor and Arbore Monasteries have more common points
concerning the restoration problems: both exhibit the same deterioration forms, due to a generalized
biological attack, which produced major degradations reaching the resistance structural level. All these
degradation forms were identified as produced by Hylotrupes Bajulus.
At Humor Monastery the most virulent biological attack is confined to the central area of the
Iconostasis, the whole Apostles register being affected. The right pillar and all the bottom area of
Iconostasis sustaining structure had been affected by a biological attack, creating an unstable relation
between the component elements.
The conservation state of icons from the central area of the Apostles register – Deisis scene – is very
poor, showing extreme degradation owing to the biological attack, in fact the panel inside had turned
into a fine wood dust and the wooden support under the paint layer had been converted into a very thin
skin. The whole ensemble is in danger of inner collapse.
The verso is painted in a decorative manner and some traces and axe working of the panel can still be
noticed, significant elements for art historical studies, which had to be preserved.
The icons display an extremely thin support, under which, as in a closed case, the wood material had
turned into dust (turning the icon upside-down the inner content is running down as in a hourglass).
The Arbore icons generally exhibit the same problems. Moreover, the back side resistance structure on
which the ensemble had been constructed was 80% destroyed by the biological attack. The traverse
linking the north and south walls is the only one unaffected and could be used as resistance element on
which a supporting structure would be constructed.
The Arbore Iconostasis support had been constructed in situ and it is composed of 5 registers joined
together with wood plugs. The whole was then grounded and on the ground the paint layer and
metallic foils were laid. This is an important remark as the detachment of some constituent elements is
not possible without destroying the intimate links created between elements by the preparation layer.
Thus the whole Iconostasis back side, together with the weaken and deteriorated supporting structure,
had to be submitted to a restoration process without detaching the constituent elements.
The wooden structure degradation due to biological attack requires a pragmatic approach, based on a
technical evaluation, bearing in mind the resistance details.
If the resistance structure of the support is discontinuous (braked off), resulting in pictorial layer
degradation, an intervention is necessary, but must be limited to restoring the cohesion of the
resistance structures.
If the resistance structure is unaffected, one can think that the biological attack removed useless
material, as the support role is to sustain the weight of pictorial layer, insignificant comparing to that
of the panel and resistance structure.
The approaching way for the preservation of pictorial layer and of its support should take into
consideration the relationship between the component elements and the whole. The restoration of
wood structure deteriorated by a generalized biological attack has to do with structural resistance and
not with putty filling, nor with wood replacement with new wood or natural/synthetic consolidants.
For the above presented Humor Monastery icons, bearing on the verso a pictorial layer meant to be
preserved, considering the requirement of their exhibition in vertical position on the Iconostasis, an
intervention on icons side was carried out, aiming to restore the binding between the sound structures
still existing inside, especially the resistance structure of the lower part were consolidated. These
structures had a major contribution to the present day state of conservation of the icons. Then the sides
were mounted, acting as a fastening structure between the back and the front sides. The necessity of
mounting entire consolidation structures on icons sides complicated the problem, as the effect of new
created strains had to be balanced by adverse forces.
For Arbore Church Iconostasis the restoration interventions took into account the specific deterioration
of the pictorial layer in connection with the support state of conservation. As the pictorial, a layer
exhibited a good adherence to the support under layers in close vicinity (nearly 5mm) and deeper links
were destroyed by biological attack, the most adequate approach was thought to be the joining
(linking) of under structures one to another, from the pictorial layer upwards.
The intervention was carried out by inserting some acacia wooden elements of smaller size than the
exit holes, which would take over the bending strength tasks of the support.
The consolidation of the attacked Fractures of the attacked support; The consolidation with balsa woods
support, from the averse to the the weaving of the wooden of the icons’ obverse after the
obverse, introducing in the holes structure as a consolidation method removal of the unhealthy structure
hard wooden structures

3. CONCLUSIONS
• The consolidation by injection with various natural/synthetic consolidants does not solve the
cohesion problems between the support layers deteriorated through a biological attack. The
support consolidation by injection with consolidant solutions should be used only after a
positive test
• The transposing operation on a new wood or other kinds of support could result in major
degradations of pictorial layer, hastening the degradation process
• The treatment of wooden supports affected by a massive biological attack should be
approached by focusing on the components resistance problem and on strains between these
components, depending to the exhibition position after restoration and to the micro- and
macroclimate in which the ensemble will be preserved.