In pursuit of the original – palimpsest in wall painting. Exhibiting exposures
Ewa Święcka
doi:10.5277/arc180404
Abstract
The article presents problems of revealing of mural paintings which is an integral part of architectural surfaces investigation. The paper also describes different kinds of preparatory layers used in the past as a support for new decorations and general rules of its conservation proceedings. Â Â Â The stratigraphic layers of mural painting are the following: the wall, plasters and renderings, strata of whitewash and polychromes. In some cases only limited parts of authentic paint are presented without removing of all layers added later on the whole decorated surface. Overpaintings are removed in conservation treatment, that is why the conservator is the one to make the most important decisions. In the past conservators used to reveal the oldest existing paint layer; overlapping layers were simply lost. Today there are many solutions and methods of conservation allowing to preserve and expose paintings created on the same wall in different historical periods. The photographs included in the article illustrate different systems and forms of presentation. It should be stressed that parallel presentation of paintings coming from several periods is mainly an aesthetical problem. One should also remember that painted decoration is not only a work of art but also a document of history of the building.