The frescoes painted by Theophanes in the Church of the Savior on Ilyin Street, Veliky Novgorod, show a stark black and red palette that appears almost monochrome. Art historians note that such coloring is unusual for the Old Russian fresco tradition, and to date there has been no consensus on why these hues appear. In response, researchers shared with socialbites.ca that researchers from the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research will use neutron activation analysis to uncover the true colors used by the Greek painter Theophanes.
Physicists expect that the results will enable restorers to recreate the frescoes as the author intended. This work could provide a decisive key to the original appearance and help settle long-standing questions in art historical interpretation.
For art historians, the situation is a genuine puzzle: is the restrained palette a deliberate artistic choice by the author or the result of environmental conditions over time? To probe this, a parallel study was started on another monument, the Simeon the God-Receiver church at the Zverin Monastery in Novgorod. There, only certain image fragments display color anomalies, such as a red halo. A temperature series was conducted to map how primary colors shift with heat, and a digital reconstruction of individual fresco segments was created. A publication on these findings is being prepared by Andrey Dmitriev, head of the JINR FLNP GNAA, who noted that the temperature-driven color dynamics could illuminate historical painting practices and material choices.
Investigations into the Simeon fresco depicting the three apostles revealed that heating can quickly transform yellow ochre into red. This color transition coincides with historical records indicating fires around Veliky Novgorod during the late 15th century, suggesting environmental factors may have influenced color perception or preservation. The chronology, referencing 1471 and contemporary events, helps frame possible mechanisms behind color changes observed in other works from the same period.
Neutron activation analysis involves placing a sample image under a neutron beam, provoking nuclear reactions that reveal the sample’s elemental makeup. The resulting transformations are measured with spectrometric equipment to determine their exact composition. The process yields precise elemental data, with most elements measurable to near one atom in a million, while elements like gold can be quantified with accuracies approaching one part in a billion. This elemental signature allows researchers to identify the pigments and plasters used in the frescoes and to distinguish original materials from later restorations.
As the spectrum is processed, the researchers compute the precise proportions of elements present, building a material profile for each painted layer. The goal is to establish a reliable reconstruction of the original palette, which could guide future conservation decisions and enhance historical understanding of the painter’s methods. The work also highlights the broader potential of neutron activation analysis in art conservation, providing a non-destructive means to probe ancient materials at the elemental level.
Already, scientists at St. Petersburg and Novgorod collections have demonstrated the method’s power by identifying the authentic colors used in frescoes within the Cathedral of the Novodevichy Convent. These findings offer a framework for interpreting color choices in medieval Russian mural programs and support ongoing preservation strategies. The continued research underscores the value of cross-disciplinary collaboration between physics and art history to illuminate the material history of sacred spaces.