CERCETAREA ȘI RESTAURAREA ICOANEI "SF. HARALAMBIE" (SECOLUL AL XIX-LEA)

Summary. The „Saint Haralambie” icon is currently part of the collection of the „Holy Trinity” Monastery in Thessaloniki, Greece. The icon was painted in the 19th century, in the tempera technique on wood, in the Russian style. Since it was in a state of severe degradation, the icon was brought to the Conservation-Restoration Laboratory of the Faculty of Orthodox Theology in Iași, to be restored. The painting has a complex iconography, inspired by the life of Saint Haralambie. The icon was analyzed macroscopically, with a stereo magnifier, with ultraviolet radiation and X-ray. Elements of the author’s technique and aspects related to the state of conservation of the icon were highlighted. From a technical point of view, it is a tempera painting with primer, on a wooden panel. Important degradations affected both the wooden support and the pictorial layer, so that the icon was removed from the cult. The restoration interventions of the icon consisted of strengthening it, disinfecting the wood, removing dirt and stains, complet the losses in the wood and pictorial layer, including the chromatic integration of the lacunae of the painting. After restoration, the icon resumed its original function as a cult object.Key words: painting, icon, investigation, restoration