Icon “The meeting of the archangels” from Veliky Ustyug, 13th century. Features of the wooden base, execution technique and individual hand of the master

The article examines the features of the icon “The Meeting of the Archangels” from Veliky Ustyug (State Russian Museum, DRZh-3103. Wood, gesso, tempera. 165.0 × 117.0 × 3.0 cm). The icon was uncovered in 1959 - 1968 in the Central State Restoration Workshops (Moscow) by A. N. Baranova. In 2022 - 2024, the Russian Museum, in connection with the preparation of a catalogue of the collection of ancient Russian icons, undertook a comprehensive study of the monument. During the work, radiography of the surface, studies in the ultraviolet region, infrared spectrum, visible regions of the spectrum and macro photography, X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF) of pigments, analysis of pigments using IR Fourier spectroscopy (IRFS) were carried out. (Materials obtained during the research were provided to the author by employees of the Russian Museum: S. V. Sirro, O. V. Golubeva, V. Yu. Toropov, A. Yu. Bogdanov, I. I. Andreev, N. G. Solovieva). The analysis of the materials allowed us to draw conclusions about the construction of the icon shield, the canvas, the primer, the graphic preparation and the stratigraphy of the paint layers. The characteristic features of the icon's writing have been revealed. Studying the icon under a microscope made it possible to compile a detailed description of the icon’s state of preservation. One of the most important findings of the study concerns the composition of pigments. It has been proven that when painting the icon, the master refused to use gold, but used orpiment. At the same time, the blue paint, previously considered ultramarine, was determined during the study to be organic (like indigo).