546 Abstract “The painting technique was studied on the altar ba of che Assumption Cathedral forming a single ensemble with the Cathedrals iconostasis. Art ists under the diection of Dionisius are believed to have painted the altar bar immediatly after construction of the Cathedral was completed in the late 15th century. Spectral and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses of paine pigments were carried out. Paint com Ponents included azurite, ochre, glau- Conite and cinnabar. The paint com- position on the faces and hands of the personages and the technique of face Painting were identified. The compo- Sition of the “sankie” (the preparative layer) below the paint used on the fac~ cs was analyzed. The study included an examination of certain variations in the colour and composition of “san- kits” of images from different areas of the altar bar. Keywords ‘Mural painting, 15th century, painting technique, paint pigments, spectral ‘emission analysis, XRD analysis ICOM Comrrres Fox CONSERVATION, 1993 Vou. A Study of the Technique of the Altar Bar Painting in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin V.N. Yarosh ‘The Russian Insticute of Culeural and Natural Heritage Cosmonauts st.2 129366 Moscow, Russia Introduction The altar bar occupies the central place in the pictorial decoration of the As stumption Cathedral. Twenty half-figures of saints, monks and hermits have survived on the altar bar painting. Scholars believe the altar was painted in the late 15th century, i.e. immediately after construction of the Cathedral was completed. The altar bar painting is ascribed to the first murals of the Assumption Cathedral, along with the frescoes of the Pokhval and Peter and Paul side Chapels and the altar 1,2} ‘The first publications dealing with the altar bar painting appeared in the late 19th century when the iconostasis and the oak panelling covering the painting were removed during repairs [1-3] Opinions are divided as to the date of the painting. The majority of scholars attribute the altar bar painting to the first iconostasis in the Assumption Cathe- dral, created by artists under the direction of Dionisius according to chronicles of that time. Many scholars note a certain artistic affinity between the altar painting and the subsequent works of Dionisius and the artists of his circle [4,5,6]. This prompted a particular interest in the technique of this painting. With regard to the number of artists who originally worked on the altar bar painting, all the scholars believe that at least three or four artists took part. Many scholars have recognized the high quality of the images on the northern part of the bar and ascribe this work to the most talented artist. According to scholars, two or three other artists worked on the middle and southern pars. ‘The altar bar painting was subjected to a close examination at the end of the last century, yet no data on technique or the paint composition were published. The altar bar painting has undergone few changes in comparison with other murals of the Cathedral since the mid-16th century. It was subjected to less refreshing and renovating because it had been covered first by a range of icons, and then by an oak panel. In the late 1970s, when the panelling was removed, the painting reacquired its original appearance and became accessible to scholars. The painting was studied in the following ways: 1, ‘The painting was examined visually in ordinary and oblique light using both magnifying glass and microscope. 2. After thorough analysis of the results of these observations, photographs were taken, 3. Microsamples from the paintings were taken, and a detailed study of the paint composition was carried out under laboratory conditions using micro- chemical, powder XRD, spectral and petrographic analyses. The results of the XRD analysis for the blue, green and red paint pigments are listed in Table I The green pigment sample was taken from the lower part of the painting, the blue pigment was taken from the background, and the red pigment was taken from the dividing belt. The analysis was carried out on the DRON-1 installation with the following operating conditions: U=35 kV, I=12 mA, source of X-ray radiation Cu-anode. From the analysis the following facts were established. The main the blue paint spectrum belong to azurite and calcite. This identifica good agreement between experimental “d” values and those for azurite andWorking Group 15 Mural Paintings and Mosaics 547 Table I. Results of XRD analysis of minerals of paints from the altar bar of the Assumption Cathedral.* Gs Azurite Calcite paint, che Calcite Cinnabar Calcite Blue ASTM ASTM — Malachite lower part Glauconite ASTM Red divid- ASTM ASTM background 11-682 ASTM of the bar ASTM9-439 24-27 ing belt_ 6.0261 _24-27 Ceres CVE Wn OC a 12,92 2 10,16 3 10,1 10 402 2 3.852 498 8.84 2 3,40 4 3,38 10 SAT 840 1 Bish haba "5, 46 5,2 10 5,06 7,69 4 3,10 10 4.87 2 5,15 6 6.70 2 3,03 5 3,03 10 3,80 6 5,91 1 2.94 5 3,65 10 3,67 5 EW OCI 2.56 2 249 1 10 4492 2,30 4 2,28 2 ea 4,54 2 2,10 3 2,07 6 209 3 3.12 4 3,10 2 3,03 10 4432 2,02 2 S01 ea 4222 1,98 3 1,94 1 g9 2 2.80 402 2 1,90 2 491 2 Sie i 400 2 Ao oe, 2 3,86 3. 3.85 1,87 2 1,87 a 2 3, 23,63 4 ge) 2 pons 2 3,03 10 3,33 6 3,03 10 1,70 1 3 2.88 1 5 162 201)46, 4:91, 810,94 4 2 269 2 1 23 4 1 2,63 1 4 2,59 1 2,58 10 3 2.50 3 1 4 2 7 2,09 3 2,29 4 2,26 2 1993 nor 2 2,26 1 esp gd) aiaisery 4 Zeige. teed tas 2 1,60 2 210 3 ss 3 2 2,09 1 2,09 3 3954 na 2 nor 3 a7 4 1 114 1y6r 3 ielaiesteslit = "The analysis was carried out on the DRON-ta installation, working conditions: U = 35 kV, 1 = 12 mA, source Cu-anode 15418 A. calcite, a listed in the ASTM card index (NN 11-682 and 24-27 respectively), The elemental composition of the blue pigment is listed in Table Il, where it appears that copper is the most common element. Silicon, aluminum and calcium were also present in the dirt and whitewash. The XRD analysis of the green paint allowed us to identify glauconite from the paint’s components, with a good agreement between the “d” values and Table I, The elemental composition of paints on the altar bar of the Assumption Cathedral." Sample mal Blue background = hh Red belt vhooh Green paint, the lower part of the bar Wberh GH (py ot yh (po The brown mantle of Theodosius the Great oh ah eR op. eps Sh Bhp op Abbreviations: trices—tr, present—p, high conte b, very high content—vh. * The laser induced emission spectral analysis was carried out on the LMA-Ia installation (Kael Zeis).ICOM Commirtee For CONSERVATION, 1993 Vou. Il literature values for glauconite (ASTM N 9-439). The spectral analysis data confirmed that glauconite was the green pigment in the paint. According to our analysis, the pigment contained silicon, aluminum, iron, magnesium and calcium, (Table I); the first four elements are in agreement with the composition of glauconite, while the presence of calcium confirms the presence of whitewash in the paint. ¢ interpreted the results of the XRD analysis of the red paint in favour of cinnabar because “d "values (Table II) were obtained which showed good agree. literature values for cinnabar (ASTM N 6-0261), ‘An examination of the paint samples under a microscope showed that the pig. ‘ments used by the artists for making these paints were natural minerals. Azutite was represented by large blue particles, occasionally with green malachite crystals and particles of dirt, Glauconite consisted of large dark-green particles, while cinnabar was a mineral of perfect quality containing large and medium-sized bright-crimson particles. All the paints contain whitewash, composed of small: grained homogenous particles of calcium carbonate. ‘Thus, it was established that the blue background on the altar bar had been painted with azurite on top of a layer of black charcoal pigment. The azurite has been partially (and occasionally even totally) lost from the surface, and a black coal preparation can be seen practically everywhere through the layer of blue paint. The preparative layer is dense and even, and contains particles of coal and calcite. Cinnabar is the pigment in the red paint of the dividing belt, and pure cinnabar can also been found in the binding of Goshel in the hands of John-of-the-Tent. In all of the other paint samples, cinnabar is present in combination with other pigments. This conveys to the paints a number of tints, ranging from warm flesh-colour and rose to deep brown. Yellow paint on the faces, nimbi and garments of the Prophets contain a goldish, very fine-ground ochre found as a rule mixed with whitewash. The white paint on the scrolls, beards and hair are typically a lime whitewash. Ground coal is representative of the black paints ‘As the analysis has shown, the painting technique on the altar bar was fairly complex. Areas of light and shade in the faces and garments of the personages were painted using a multi-layer technique. In the present paper special attention was paid to the study of the artist's technique of painting the exposed areas of flesh, hands and faces of the saints. The smooth transition from the darker layers of the ground to the upper lighter layers is a trait characteristic of Russian mural paintings of the 15th century. The painting of the altar bar is atypical example of modelling the volume of an image in this way. Its worth noting that in the shaded areas, the preparative layer remains exposed and was not covered by the upper layers of paint. This permitted study of the preparative layers. It appears that the ground differed according to colour and the composition of pigments in different areas of the bar. In Table II1, the composition of samples of ground from four groupings of images of saints on the bar is given. For the first group, a yellow-green colour of the “sankir” is typical. The “sankir” contains ochre, coal, glauconite, red ferric oxide pigment, cinnabar and whitewash. The ground of the face of the youngest personage, John-of-the-Tent contains the highest ratio of red pig- ‘ments. The image of the first personage on the left side of the altar, Alexis the God's man, stands out from this group because of the richness of tint, and complexity of modelling of the folds in his dress. The colour of the ground in the second grouping of saints is yellowish, and in the third group, snuff-colour, The ground of the second grouping of saints contains mostly ochre, a few coal and red pigments, azurite and whitewash. The ground of the third group con- tained ochre, a small quantity of glauconite, red ferric oxide pigment and a trace quantity of coal. We ascribed the personage depicted in the southern part of the bar to the right of the royal gate (e.g. the Prince Toasath) to the fourth grouping of saints. The ground of the face of this personage is the thickest, several times thicker thanWorking Group 15 Maral Paintings and Mosaics 549 Table III, The composition* of of the Assumption Cathedral of the Mose sankirs” in the paints of faces of saints on the altar bar Keemlin Ye Group of low Glau Red Azur- White personas ‘ochre conite Coal _nabar ochre ite _wash Group I Alexsis, God's man vh + Pas vh Parthenius Lampsacenas wh t+-+ + + — wh John Climacus vh + + , vh John-of-the-Tene vb Pee er vh Group IL Paul of The vh + oh Moises Murin who + et vh Theodosius the Great vhow os — oh Group HL Isaac the Syrian vho + te vh Ephraim the Syrian vh 1 Seay vh Group IV The Prince Toasath vh * Codes: t= traces; + = low content; ++ = present; +++ = high content; vh is seen for the other groupings. This thicker ground is a greenish colour, and contains ochre, large particles of glauconite, red ferric oxide pigment and white- wash (Table III) Thus, according to the composition and colour of the “sankirs", we divided the ‘examined images of saints into the four groupings described above. This division coincides with the differences in the painting technique as revealed by stylistic analysis and a study of the iconography of the personages. However, besides these differences, traits common to the painting of the altar bar must be stressed. These are: the same set of pigments for paint preparation, a similar manner of modelling the volumes of figures and faces, and the technique of painting the faces. The painting of the faces in all the images is executed finely, showing a gradual transition fom the dark “‘sankir” to the lighter out layers of paint, The ground was left exposed in shaded areas. This technique of mural painting is very similar to that used in painting icons. Conclusion A detailed analysis of the composition of paints and the technique of paintings con the altar bar of the Great Assumption Cathedral in Moscow was cattied out. It is attested that the paint pigments are natural minerals, i. azurite, ochre, glauconite and cinnabar. The technique of painting on the altar bar proved to be fairly complex, multilayer and very similar to that of icon painting. It was found that for the volume modelling of faces and hands, the artists of the 15eh nitury executed their painting upon a coloured ‘‘sankir”. The composition of ankirs” from diffe as of the bar was determined. Note SSankit” is the Russian name of the first special preparative layer under the paint layers of flesh-tone parts of human bodies (for example, faces, hands) References Cathedral of Mos L. W. Doropheev, The C w, Moscow, 1896, 2. WT. Georgievscy, “The old frescoes behind the iconostasis of the Moscow As- sumption Cathedral”, Sverinik (The Light), 1915, v.1, pp. 3-1. 3. P, Mansvetow, About the just opened mural painting in the Moscow and V iadrals, Moscow, 1883, pt. AssumptionICOM Commrrree ror ConsERVATION, 1993 G.W. Popov, “The Iconostass of Dionisius of 1481 cow, 1985, pp. 174-188. WN. Lazarev, “Dionisius and his schoo!’ 1955, v.lll,p. 489, (O.W. Zonova, “The eatly altar fescoes of the Assumption Cathedral, in The A: sumption Cathedral of Moscow Kremlin, Moscow, 1985, pp. 69-86 The research of the iconostasis Assumption Cathedral of Moscow Kremlin, Mos in The History of Rusian Art, Moscow