Physicists of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research will establish the era of gilding on frescoes in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. In addition, the scientists plan to reliably determine what the colors of the frescoes really are, to carry out their digital reconstruction and to understand exactly how this or that color changes. Scientists told socialbites.ca about this.
“The experts at the Assumption Cathedral had questions, and one of them was determining the age of the gilding. With our XRF (Non-Destructive X-Ray Fluorescence Analysis) device, we can determine which century the illuminations belong to by comparing them with known samples from different centuries. “We will be able to set up the connector type in the lab,” said GNAA employee Natalia Glombotskaya.
The scientists will use neutron activation analysis for the job.
The sample is placed in a stream of neutrons, and as a result of nuclear reactions “transformations” occur, which we fix with the help of spectrometric equipment. Next, we process the recorded spectrum and calculate the exact elemental composition. Most of the elements we see are with precision from 1 atom to 1 million. For some, for example, gold, the ratio is more accurate – 1 to 1 billion. Based on the elemental composition, we can talk about the materials used: pigments and plasters,”
In addition, the study will allow the verification of tender documents from the 17th century. As Olga Zakharova, senior researcher at the Moscow Kremlin Museums explains, art historians decided to check what materials could be found among what was known from the documents they were purchased. 1643, by decree of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich Romanova.
Understanding the composition of the mixtures that make up the colored surface and their relationship to the purchased materials, verifying the documents is a scientific task.
Scientists, St. They have already been able to determine the true colors of the frescoes in the Cathedral of St. Novodevichy Convent. Read more about their discoveries material “socialbites.ca”.