Integrated Methodology for the Evaluation of Cleaning Effectiveness in Two Russian Icons (16th–17th Centuries)

KEY WORDS icons; cleaning; evaluation of effectiveness; optical and scanning electron microscopy (OM and SEM-EDX); colorimetry (CIE L*a*b*) ABSTRACT This article covers a methodology for evaluating the effectiveness of cleaning two Russian icons. The icons belong to a group of five from the same iconographic school, dating from the 16th to 17th centuries. An integrated and complementary approach to varnish and overpaint removal involved microscopic techniques (optical and scanning electron microscopy) and colorime-try (CIE L*a*b * system). The materials and techniques used in these icons have been character-ized previously. Cleaning revealed extensive overpainting that had not only dramatically changed the original appearance, but also the meaning and attribution of one of the two icons. The analyses carried out were useful in determining the extent of the overpainting and led to a better assess-ment of the results and effectiveness of the restoration. Microsc. Res. Tech. 73:752–760, 2010. VC 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc