Page 1 | Page 2 | Footnotes
1 The time available for
painting varies according to the school and technique
of the workshop as well as to atmospheric conditions.
There is evidence that in Byzantine churches, the
plaster remained damp, and therefore
“paintable” for several days, based on the
large size of individual sections of finished frescoes.
2 In English speaking countries, much of the terminology of fresco painting is expressed in Italian, as Italian schools of fresco painting have supplied much of the training of fresco painters in the West. Some of these terms have no English equivalent.
3 For example, a mural painted in egg tempera or acrylic paint would be correctly identified as a “secco” painting.
4 See Harold Osborne, The Oxford Companion to Art, (Oxford University Press, 1970) p.444-446. See also Mora, Mora, and Philippot, Conservation of Wall Paintings Vol. I, (IICROM, 1984), p. 83-101. In his treatise, De Architectura (“On Architecture”), Vitruvius, a Roman architect writing at the end of the 1st century, BC, details the technique of fresco painting in great detail. The famous murals of Pompeii and Herculaneum are frescoes.
5 See David Winfield, Middle and Later Byzantine Wall Painting Methods, A Comparative Study, (Dumbarton Oaks Papers, number 22 1968) p. 62-138. See also Ormylia _____________
6 Our fresco technique is influenced by two primary sources: (1.) Technical training. One of our painters studied fresco painting in France, at L’Ecole de Beaux Arts, Paris, and at San Francisco State University, under the instruction of Stephen Pope Dimitrov and Lucienne Bloch, assistants to Diego Riviera, Mexican muralist who worked extensively in fresco in North and Central America. (2.) The study and observation in situ of Byzantine Churches, 12th to 16th century (in Greece, Turkey, Macedonia, and Serbia.)
7 Different eras and schools employ varying recipes for the construction of the plaster wall. Historically, 3 layers of plaster would be the norm, but there may be as few as 2, or many more then 2.
8 For excellent overviews of the plastering and painting process for fresco, see Kurt Wehlte, The Materials and Techniques of Painting, (Kremer), p.246-261; Ollie Nordmark, Fresco Painting, (American Artists Group, 1947); and Gardner Hale, The Technique of Fresco Painting, (Dover, 1966)
9 If the church has no dome, the icon of the Savior is moved to the top of the east wall, or the top of the east apse, and the icon of the Virgin is moved to the area below that of Christ.
2 In English speaking countries, much of the terminology of fresco painting is expressed in Italian, as Italian schools of fresco painting have supplied much of the training of fresco painters in the West. Some of these terms have no English equivalent.
3 For example, a mural painted in egg tempera or acrylic paint would be correctly identified as a “secco” painting.
4 See Harold Osborne, The Oxford Companion to Art, (Oxford University Press, 1970) p.444-446. See also Mora, Mora, and Philippot, Conservation of Wall Paintings Vol. I, (IICROM, 1984), p. 83-101. In his treatise, De Architectura (“On Architecture”), Vitruvius, a Roman architect writing at the end of the 1st century, BC, details the technique of fresco painting in great detail. The famous murals of Pompeii and Herculaneum are frescoes.
5 See David Winfield, Middle and Later Byzantine Wall Painting Methods, A Comparative Study, (Dumbarton Oaks Papers, number 22 1968) p. 62-138. See also Ormylia _____________
6 Our fresco technique is influenced by two primary sources: (1.) Technical training. One of our painters studied fresco painting in France, at L’Ecole de Beaux Arts, Paris, and at San Francisco State University, under the instruction of Stephen Pope Dimitrov and Lucienne Bloch, assistants to Diego Riviera, Mexican muralist who worked extensively in fresco in North and Central America. (2.) The study and observation in situ of Byzantine Churches, 12th to 16th century (in Greece, Turkey, Macedonia, and Serbia.)
7 Different eras and schools employ varying recipes for the construction of the plaster wall. Historically, 3 layers of plaster would be the norm, but there may be as few as 2, or many more then 2.
8 For excellent overviews of the plastering and painting process for fresco, see Kurt Wehlte, The Materials and Techniques of Painting, (Kremer), p.246-261; Ollie Nordmark, Fresco Painting, (American Artists Group, 1947); and Gardner Hale, The Technique of Fresco Painting, (Dover, 1966)
9 If the church has no dome, the icon of the Savior is moved to the top of the east wall, or the top of the east apse, and the icon of the Virgin is moved to the area below that of Christ.
10 If there is room, a
cycle of the Miracles of Christ may be included between
cycle of the Festivals and that of the Saints.
11 For a fuller description of the iconographic plan, see Constantine Carvarnos, Guide to Byzantine Iconography, (Holy Transfiguration Monastery, 1993) volume 1, part 2, chapters 1-3. See also Otto Demus, Byzantine Mosaic Decoration, (Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1948) p.16-30.
12 Winfield, Ibid, p. 90-96
13 The sinopia was named historically after the reddish colored pigment that was traditionally used for it.
14 The timetable of the fresco is not precisely predictable, as weather and conditions of the different walls influence the rate of curing of the plaster.
15 See (Ovchinnikov article in issue 2 of Iconofile). An example of this technique is the Church of the Panagia tou Arakos (Our Lady of Arakos), Lagoudera, Cyprus (late 12th C).
16 The majority of extant Byzantine frescoes are painted in this way, and there are many examples to be seen of this technique: The Church of the Protaton, Mount Athos, Greece (late 13th C), the Church of Saint Nicholas Orphanos, Thessalonica, Greece (Early 14th C); the Church of the Savior in Chora (Kariye Djami) in Constantinople (14th C), to name but three. For an indepth explanation of this and other techniques of fresco painting used by Byzantine iconographers, see Winfield, Ibid. Winfield’s conclusions are made from direct observation of the frescoes themselves during much fieldwork, including conservation and restoration. See also, Ormylia, Ibid. The conclusions of this study are based on painstaking microscopic analysis of paint and plaster samples taken from the Church of the Protaton. For further reading on the practices of painting some of the “fresco” in secco, see Mora et al. Chapters 5-7.
17 It is standard practice to plaster a little more than the area to be painted, providing plaster that can be precisely trimmed, and also that can provide test areas for the colors.
18 Some writings and workshops prefer to use the Italian word for a fresco’s plaster joins: giornate (from the Italian word for “day”), as it usually marked a single day’s work.
11 For a fuller description of the iconographic plan, see Constantine Carvarnos, Guide to Byzantine Iconography, (Holy Transfiguration Monastery, 1993) volume 1, part 2, chapters 1-3. See also Otto Demus, Byzantine Mosaic Decoration, (Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1948) p.16-30.
12 Winfield, Ibid, p. 90-96
13 The sinopia was named historically after the reddish colored pigment that was traditionally used for it.
14 The timetable of the fresco is not precisely predictable, as weather and conditions of the different walls influence the rate of curing of the plaster.
15 See (Ovchinnikov article in issue 2 of Iconofile). An example of this technique is the Church of the Panagia tou Arakos (Our Lady of Arakos), Lagoudera, Cyprus (late 12th C).
16 The majority of extant Byzantine frescoes are painted in this way, and there are many examples to be seen of this technique: The Church of the Protaton, Mount Athos, Greece (late 13th C), the Church of Saint Nicholas Orphanos, Thessalonica, Greece (Early 14th C); the Church of the Savior in Chora (Kariye Djami) in Constantinople (14th C), to name but three. For an indepth explanation of this and other techniques of fresco painting used by Byzantine iconographers, see Winfield, Ibid. Winfield’s conclusions are made from direct observation of the frescoes themselves during much fieldwork, including conservation and restoration. See also, Ormylia, Ibid. The conclusions of this study are based on painstaking microscopic analysis of paint and plaster samples taken from the Church of the Protaton. For further reading on the practices of painting some of the “fresco” in secco, see Mora et al. Chapters 5-7.
17 It is standard practice to plaster a little more than the area to be painted, providing plaster that can be precisely trimmed, and also that can provide test areas for the colors.
18 Some writings and workshops prefer to use the Italian word for a fresco’s plaster joins: giornate (from the Italian word for “day”), as it usually marked a single day’s work.