TOWARDS A MORE EFFICIENT USE OF SPECTRAL TECHNIQUES IN THE ATTRIBUTION OF EASEL PAINTING -
THE ICON OF ARCHANGEL GABRIEL IN THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF BELGRADE

The main goal of this case study is to establish the originality, date, authorship, and eventual renewals of an icon kept in the Belgrade National Museum, of great class but in regrettable status of conservation. The tools at disposition for the ND investigation are limited to the Vis/raking light, UV, IR micro spectroscopy, CT and X-ray, but this lack will be compensated by the exhaustive databases and knowledge accumulated in the specific sector by leading scientific centres and laboratories in Russia/E Europe.
Therefore, the case study will be an occasion to compare and critically evaluate theoretical, methodological, instrumental as well as technical approach in diagnostics of easel painting in W and E Europe, and to introduce to little known concepts, publications, referential material in Slavic languages, closely linked with the specific problematic of COSCH. Between these of particular relevance are the theory of the colour of organic (natural and synthetic) dyes as a phenomenon of the quantum chemistry, the negative effect of light radiation in photography, the studies on the IR spectra of the complex molecules, the distinction between normal and electronic luminescence, the possibilities and limits of photogrammetry in the investigation of art objects, and, in general, of the different recently introduced spectral and spatial techniques in respect to the better experimented ones.
The case study will generate useful information concerning mainly the technical analyses of tempera and oil painting, the correct interpretation of their results as well as innovative ND methods for distinguishing between original and secondary works.

COSCH WG meeting in St. Etienne 27 March 2015: presentation, abstract

The case study is led by

Dr Magdelena Stoyanova, CISBI-Ca' Foscari, Venice (Centro Interdisciplinare di Studi Balcanici ed Internazionali presso il Dipartiomento di Studi sull'Asia e Africa dell'Università Ca' Foscari)

Collaborators:

• MSci Milica Marić Stojanović, National Museum – Belgrade
• Ma. Branka Ivanić, National Museum – Belgrade
• Veljko Ilić, National Museum – Belgrade
• Prof. Krstić, University of Belgrade, Faculty of Veterinary, Lab for radiography
• Prof. Selma Risvić, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Sarajevo
• Dr. Anna Mazina, The Grabar Art Conservation Centre, Moscow
• Dr. Irina Provorova, The Surikov Art Institute, Moscow
• Dr. Galina Maximova, The Surikov Art Institute, Moscow