Darja Jefimova

• Mägi’s materials. The fragility of Konrad Mägi’s paintings in the light of technical studies.
• Tutor: Hilkka Hiiop (PhD), Johanna Lamp (MA)

The aim of the interdisciplinary research is to map out the factors preventing the long-term preservation of Konrad Mägi’s artworks – such as the overburdening of paintings with frequent exhibitions, which are accompanied by heavy handling, long transits and sudden changes in the environment, as well as the lack of knowledge regarding the artist’s painting technique and materials used and the level of their fragility.

As a part of the thesis, technical studies have also been conducted on 23 paintings, which include imaging studies (such as ultraviolet-, infrared- and X-ray photography, as well as imaging of surface changes also known as RTI) and various instrumental analyzes (ATR-FT-IR, SEMEDS, XRF-studies). Various multispectral information is collected by photographing objects at different wavelengths and with different intensities, with the help of which it is possible to detect what cannot be seen in normal light – such as discovering underdrawings or overpaintings. The chemical analysis of pigments were performed in order to study the chemical bonds of the samples, which helped to determine the composition of the materials.