Presentation of Efforts Aimed to Rediscover the Forgotten and Lost Aspects of Byzantine Fresco

Fresco painting (<i>al fresco</i>) is one of the oldest and most durable mural techniques. Although mosaic art is more resilient, it does not strictly fall within the category of painting. Christianity adopted the ancient technique of fresco painting for the depiction of religious themes on walls shortly after its emergence. After the Great Schism between Eastern and Western Christianity (1054 AD), Western art gradually began to diverge from the common fresco method practiced until then, adopting less demanding variations such as the <i>giornata</i> technique. In these methods, the wet plaster layer is thin, the paint layers superficial, and pigments are fixed with organic binders applied onto the thin plaster surface - a hallmark technique of the Renaissance. In contrast, the Eastern tradition largely maintained its adherence to ancient practices, employing thicker layers of fresh plaster, pronounced and thick paint layers (<i>impasto</i>), and the use of organic agents to retard drying and enhance the vividness of colors - characteristics of Byzantine or Orthodox fresco painting. The scarcity of extensive literature on Byzantine fresco painting, compared to the abundant bibliography on Renaissance frescoes, combined with the decline in its use in Eastern Europe, has created significant gaps in its contemporary application. Consequently, numerous artistic and technical elements that contributed to the perfection of the works have been lost. The aim of the present study is the comprehensive revival of Byzantine fresco painting, in order to preserve the high aesthetic and technical excellence that characterized its peak period (9th-15th centuries AD). Specifically, it investigates the use of plenty organic materials in plasters and pigments, given that recent physicochemical analyses as Raman spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, etc., have identified protein- based organic compounds not only on the surface but also in deeper layers of ancient monumental frescoes. Drawing upon forty years of field experience, we present effective practices intended to strengthen efforts for the preservation of Byzantine fresco painting and to prevent its irreversible loss, which would constitute a significant blow to art and culture.