"Schwabe" began cooperation with the Museum of Russian Icon

2022: Cooperation with the Museum of Russian Icon and identification of works

The Shvabe holding of the Rostec State Corporation announced on August 25, 2022 that it had helped specialists from the Mikhail Abramov Museum of Russian Icon in Moscow to establish the authenticity of several classical works. The research involves its own innovative development - a special SWIR camera of completely Russian production.

The first to test the capabilities of the SWIR camera, the museum specialists provided the icon "Prophet Daniel/Introduction to the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary." Two images have been preserved on the icon: on the original layer of painting of the 17th century, a face and part of the clothes of the prophet Daniel are visible - the rest is hidden behind the icon "Introduction to the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary," which, presumably, was painted in the 19th century. It was this hidden part that was shown by the SWIR camera produced by the Moscow Orion NGO.

On the part of the Holding, representatives of State scientific RUSSIAN FEDERATION the Orion NGO center took part in the study. As a result of the study, experts saw sketches and outlines of an early image of the icon. On the whole icon can be traced the prophics of the XIX century, circles, presumably nimbs, as well as the continuation of the cloak and belt of the prophet Daniel.

The company continues to work with the Museum of Russian Icon. In particular, he assists in the direction of identifying authenticity and establishing the exact dates for the creation of art objects in his collection. We have already held a working meeting to be able to reveal the inscription on the back of the Stroganov icon. Such icons were often signed and dated, and with the help of our SWIR camera you can see these inscriptions, told the general director of the State Research Center of the Russian Federation NPO "Orion," Sergei Kuznetsov.

Technological examination of icons often consists of two stages - this is the establishment chemical of the composition of the components of the paint layer and the correlation of the materials obtained data with the chronology of the use of painting materials. Even if both stages are carried out at a high professional level, then the likelihood of an error in establishing the creation and authenticity period is unlikely, but possible. This SWIR diagnostic method demonstrated a quick, concrete result without the involvement of narrow specialists, which revealed the features inherent in this icon, and in the case of an overlapped image, supplemented the examination report information on the original image, said the director of the Museum of Russian Icon, Nikolay Zadorozhny.

This is not the first time art historians have used a Russian SWIR camera in their work. Several years ago, at the State Research Institute for Restoration, the "all-seeing" camera was used to study the early 18th century icon "The Miracle of George about the Serpent" and "Still Life with Chum Salmon" in 1937, confirming the originality of both objects of art.