/library/oar/handle/123456789/8103 2026-06-15T21:07:51Z 2026-06-15T21:07:51Z Porter, Jennifer Pasian, Chiara De Angelis, Roberta /library/oar/handle/123456789/146878 2026-05-28T12:02:59Z 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: The chapel at Palazzo de la Salle and its painted decoration : findings from the 2016-2019 conservation project Authors: Porter, Jennifer; Pasian, Chiara; De Angelis, Roberta Abstract: This paper presents findings from the 2016–2019 conservation project of the domestic chapel inside Palazzo de La Salle, Valletta, carried out by the Department of Conservation and Built Heritage at the University of Malta. The project stabilized and analyzed two previously known oil-on-stone decorative schemes: the early-to-mid 17th-century Altar Surround and the Baroque Frieze (dated via newly discovered heraldry to 1731–1736). Conservation interventions also uncovered two entirely hidden painted elements: a decorated wooden ceiling cornice and a lower illusionistic architectural architectural dado program. Material analysis revealed advanced oil-on-stone technical execution alongside extensive pigment alteration over time (specifically smalt and arsenic sulphides), dramatically changing the original aesthetic reading of the room.

2023-01-01T00:00:00Z Porter, Jennifer Pasian, Chiara Patterson, Teal Ruiz, Naomi Gorodetska, Mariia Parisi, Stephanie /library/oar/handle/123456789/146849 2026-05-28T12:57:34Z 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Change and continuity : significance and physical history in the conservation of the 16th-century Great Siege wall paintings in Valletta, Malta Authors: Porter, Jennifer; Pasian, Chiara; Patterson, Teal; Ruiz, Naomi; Gorodetska, Mariia; Parisi, Stephanie Abstract: Knowledge of the physical history of the Great Siege wall paintings (1576–81) by Matteo Perez D'Aleccio in the Grand Master's Palace in Valletta, Malta, has been fundamental in understanding their current condition and the continuity between their original function and current significance. It has also directly influenced the conservation approach employed by the Department of Conservation and Built Heritage, University of Malta. Diverse bodies of evidence—including archival photographs, physical evidence of past interventions and damage, and noninvasive methods such as multispectral imaging (MSI) and in situ microscopy—were synthesized to build a cohesive narrative and inform conservation strategies. This study demonstrates how the conservation and presentation of artworks can influence their perception and interpretation, and in turn their continuing relevance to the society within which they function.

2023-01-01T00:00:00Z Porter, Jennifer Taniguchi, Yoko Temur Yıldız, Hatice /library/oar/handle/123456789/146848 2026-05-27T15:15:15Z 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Design rationale and field testing of a gypsum-based grout for wall painting stabilization in the Chapel of Niketas the Stylite, Cappadocia, Turkey Authors: Porter, Jennifer; Taniguchi, Yoko; Temur Yıldız, Hatice Abstract: The rock-cut chapel of Niketas the Stylite (Cappadocia, Turkey) is decorated with 7-8th C CE painted gypsum plasters on a tuff support. A 2015 survey found that detached areas of plaster required stabilization through injection grouting. This paper presents the rationale behind the preliminary development of calcium sulfate hemihydrate (HH, CaSO4·0.5H20)-based injection grouts for this purpose and their testing in the field. Research into gypsum-based conservation materials is limited compared to lime, and there are very few examples of the development of proprietary gypsum grouts for the stabilization of wall paintings on gypsum plaster. This study therefore reviews the existing literature, and explains the rationale behind the selection of materials for the conservation of the paintings, including a discussion of the potential risks and benefits associated with the use of lime and gypsum binders. Field testing focused on the development of HH-based grouts formulated with a range of aggregates and fluidizers. The grout mixes were tested against clearly-defined working properties and some of the performance characteristics for the intervention. Existing field-testing protocols were adapted as necessary to the working conditions, context and materials of the site and paintings.

2022-01-01T00:00:00Z Gorodetska, Mariia Porter, Jennifer /library/oar/handle/123456789/146847 2026-05-27T14:49:13Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Non-invasive study of plaster application marks in the 16th century Great Siege wall painting cycle, Valletta, Malta Authors: Gorodetska, Mariia; Porter, Jennifer Abstract: Plaster layers are integral components of wall painting systems and their surfaces often preserve an extensive record of their properties and application. However, most research about wall painting plasters focuses on composition and performance. Only a limited number of published studies reports on the documentation and analysis of plaster surface marks (e.g. Centauro 1989; Zanardi 1996; Bandini & Lanfranchi, 2002), and most of these focus on marks related to preparations for painting (e.g. setting out, preparatory drawings), rather than those resulting from the plaster application process. A non-invasive examination of the 16th century Great Siege wall painting cycle in the Grand Master’s Palace, Valletta, Malta, using simple techniques and accessible tools, has revealed a wealth of plaster application marks preserved in the surface of the lime plasters (Gorodetska 2022). The study of these marks serves as an excellent example of how surface texture can provide unique insights into the properties of the plasters, the working methods of the plasterers, and current conservation problems of a wall painting.

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z