RESTORATION OF “PRAZDNIKI” ICON

Easel painting on a wooden panel depicting scenes from the life of Mary and Jesus. Author unknown, 19th century. Tempera on a wooden panel, 35.3 × 30.8 cm.

The restoration was carried out during academic classes at the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków.

The initial stages of restoration—including impregnation, cleaning, and the beginning of the ground layer filling—were completed by a previous student before my involvement. My work began with finishing the ground layer fills, using a mixture of rabbit glue and chalk.

Next, I traced the engraved ornamentation visible along the edges of the icon onto foil, as some sections required reconstruction. I designed and engraved the missing fragments onto the restored ground layer. Following this, I applied a layer of bole, carefully replicating the original thickness, texture, and characteristic brushstrokes.

To restore the missing silver layer, I used a mixture of silver powder, rabbit glue, vodka, and water, which was then covered with goldlack (a blend of shellac, dragon’s blood, and red Gamblin paint) to match the original tone.

Finally, I retouched the paint layer using watercolors mixed with water and ox bile, ensuring a seamless integration with the original surface.