Cleaning and Reintegration of the 13th Century Icon
The First Project for the MIRU: Cleaning and Reintegration of the 13th Century Icon with Saint John the Baptist, Monastery of the Syrians, Wadi Natrun in Egypt
Saint John the Baptist
Photos: Z. Skálová
Painted by a Byzantine-trained artist on a locally-crafted sycomore panel, later partly devoured by insects, the endangered icon (91×67×2 cm) was revitalised using the MIRU.
The appalling state of the support made it possible to look through the sacred object and scrutinise in detail the otherwise hidden techniques peculiar to the Nile Valley.
The rediscovered masterpiece was provided with a protective glassed maqsurat fashioned by Egyptian carpenters.