HORSE-HEADED SAINT CHRISTOPHER FRESCO IN THE SVIYAZHSK ASSUMPTION CATHEDRAL (16th -17th CENTURY, RUSSIA): HISTORY AND ARCHAEOMETRY

Abstract

The present paper is devoted to the study of wall paint of the late 16th - early 17th centuries with zoomorphic

image of St. Christopher located at the Assumption Cathedral (which became UNESCO object in 2017) of the

town-island of Sviyazhsk and is the first investigation of Russian murals of this time. The work includes

archaeometry examination of wall paint with portable X-ray fluorescent spectrometer (pXRF) for the

pigment’s determination and by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (OM-SEM) for fresco

structure study with some notes of the appearance of an unusual image of the saint and history of this fresco

creating. The analysis found the ancient masters used red and yellow ocher, umber, ―green earth‖, blue

smalt as colorants. The discovered cinnabar, minium, lead white, paints with chromium, titanium and nickel

are evidence of restoration work of the different time. As studies have shown some regions of fresco have

several painting layers indicating alterations in original image of Saint Christopher with the dog head.

Results of plaster examination showed that it was made from dolomite raw material. In addition, white scurf

near the cracks in the wall has been studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Separation of calcium and

magnesium structures due to degradation process of the fresco base was revealed on the OM-SEM-pictures.