Archaeometric Study of the Mural Paintings by Saturnino Gatti and Workshop in the Church of San Panfilo, Tornimparte (AQ): The Study of Organic Materials in Original and Restored Areas

Abstract

In the context of the archaeometrical study of Saturnino Gatti’s wall paintings, a significant aspect concerned the study of the organic component to understand both the original binders used in the original areas and the products used for pictorial reintegration and restoration of the painted surfaces. Thanks to the results obtained from various non-invasive and multi-band imaging techniques, it was possible to define Gatti’s original painting technique and identify the materials subsequently applied in significant samples. To this end, molecular analyses based on mass spectrometry were carried out. Different procedures in gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and in pyrolysis coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS) were adopted. The analyses revealed a variety of organic materials on the mural paintings, most of which are from past restoration interventions and have synthetic origin. The overspread presence of paraffin is likely due to the application of a mineral wax-based coating/consolidant. In particular, the execution technique encompassed the use of tempera-based paints, while retouched areas were characterised by the presence of oil-based resins.

Keywords

• proteins
• lipids
• paraffin
• synthetic materials
• paint binders