Palimpsests and Pictorial Phases in the Light of Studies of the Techniques of Execution and the Materials Employed

Abstract

Research on the murals of Santa Maria Antiqua has benefitted from the integration of art historical and scientific studies, with a particular focus on the investigation of the painting processes and the materials employed. This integration constitutes a useful approach for disentangling the complex stratigraphy of the various phases of painting, particularly in the sanctuary. Using a consistent methodological framework, the ‘Progetto Santa Maria Antiqua’ has examined all the painted surfaces in the church; the present paper, however, focuses on two select case-studies, which bring to the fore new and interesting elements that illuminate the pictorial cycle at large.