Historical Painting Techniques, Materials, and Studio Practice

Summary
We can conclude after this preliminary investigation that many differences
between the two pulpits are present, although they both date from the same
period. Two types of grounds were found; in the Nurmuizha pulpit, chalkglue
ground is used, while in the Burtnieki pulpit a ground of ochre in oil
is present. The pigments are similar in that they are probably the most commonly
used pigments in Latvia during that period. During previous investigations
of blue colors in the polychromy of seventeenth-century Latvian
churches, two pigments were always present: indigo and smalt. Natural ultramarine
has been found in very few cases.
Details in the decoration of the Nurmuizha church are executed using a
water-gilding technique. It is impossible to determine if a varnish or glaze is
present, as the next gilding layer is applied in an oil-based mordant technique
that fully blends with the first gilded layer.
The decorative wood carvings of the Burtnieki church are silvered and in
some places covered with colored glazes.
Different hands are present in both churches, as during the seventeenth century
in Latvia there was a continuous migration of craftspersons. A gilderpainter
could have been called from any workshop, especially in rural areas,
introducing that workshop's typical techniques and materials. It is not suggested
that the described methods were the most common in Latvia. Any
concrete conclusions can only be made after fu rther investigations in Latvia,
and after a comparison with methods used in other parts in Europe.
Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to polychrome wooden sculpture restorers S. Rugevica and
1. Pukse fo r the samples and for their help with the work. Thanks are due to M.
Harris for editing the manuscript.
Notes
1. Grosmane, E. 1981. Ventspils koktelnieki 17.gs otra puse- 18.gs.sakums. Riga, Zinatne,
46-61.
2. Microscope MBI-15 (USSR), magnification x160.
3. Emission spectroscopy was carried out by A. Deme, an assistant of the spectroscopy
laboratory of Latvia University.
4. Striegel, M. E, and D. Stulik. 1993. High performance thin-layer chromatography
fo r the identification of binding media: techniques and applications. In AIC Preprints.
5. Infrared spectroscopy was carried out by 1. Gudele, an assistant at Riga Technical
University.
6. Martin, E. 1977. Some improvements in techniques of analysis of paint media.
Studies in Conservation 22:63-67.
7. The definition is in process.
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