Overview of conservation and restoration approaches to the protection and presentation of Viminacium wall paintings

Abstract

This paper will present methods of protection and presentation, i.e., conservation-restoration approaches, applied to the remains of wall paintings found within the archaeological site of Viminacium, from the Roman period, that have been applied since 2006. The material was conserved in the conservation and restoration studio on the site itself by conservators and associates of the Institute of Archaeology, while in the previous period it was carried out by the conservators of the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments of Serbia – Belgrade. The found paintings diered in their degree of preservation, which gave rise to the reasons for the chosen method of conservation and presentation. The presentation of one of the found painted graves and the partially preserved painted composition on one of the walls of the city baths enabled the preservation of examples of painting in its original context, providing visitors with a unique experience. Viminacium is one of the few archaeological sites in Serbia where conservators pay special attention to fragmented wall paintings, and to the restoration of the units that the fragments formerly created.

With the help of conservation works carried out on the fragments of the painting, several units were obtained that can allow us to see what the wall decoration looked like in a historical environment. Some of the fragments throughout the presentation remained unrelated to the context from which they originate, so the contribution of hypothetical reconstructions carried out by restorers as well as the use of modern digital technologies is important for their comprehension. The aim of the work being done by conservators in Viminacium since 2006 is, therefore, that all the remains of the wall paintings of Viminacium are physically preserved and protected, but also that their artistic content, materials and production technology are in some way visible outside the space of the studio, that is presented to other researchers and conservators, as well as the museum audience.