THE INVESTIGATION OF PAINTING MATERIALS OF THE JESUS CHRIST ROYAL ICON

The royal icon of Jesus Christ belongs to the “Saint Archangels Michael and Gabriel” church from the village of Gheorgheni, Cluj County, and it dates from the beginning of the 18th century. Considering the importance, the age, and the ongoing process of restoration of this icon, research has been done to establish the composition of the painting materials. The investigations were carried out using nondestructive Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) measurements. The ground applied over the wood was identified as gypsum. The painting technique used was tempera grassa, and traditional pigments were used: white lead, mercury red, iron red, copper green, Prussian blue, brown iron oxide, and carbon black. Gold and silver leaves were also used, the beautiful painting being complemented by rich decorations.