A Procedure For Combining The Removal And The Identification Of A Patina On A 15th Century Byzantine Icon

In our paper, we report a workflow, which combines cleaning procedures and Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) for the removal and the identification of a patina from a byzantine 15th century icon representing the Virgin and Child. Our strategy suggest a convenient interaction between restoration procedures and analytical methodologies aimed at the cleaning of the surface of the artwork and the identification of unknown compounds responsible for its alteration. These informations can be very useful not only to return the colors to their original brightness but to reconstruct the story of the icon too.