Material and Technical Analysis of Armenian Wall Paintings in New Julfa, Isfahan

The 17th century is the time of new changes in Iranian relationship with the West and especially European countries. In that era, Armenian merchants, were one of the main channels for bringing European art styles, in particular, paintings to Iranian culture. Although many of such paintings and art works deteriorated during the last century due to the waves of modernization in Iran, some of them are preserved in Armenian churches and houses in New Julfa of Isfahan. Reliable historical sources refer to some Armenian buildings in New Julfa which decorated with both oriental and European art works and wall paintings as well. In consequence, wall paintings in Armenian churches and houses of New Julfa form an important part of the Safavid cultural heritage in Iran. These art works explain how Iranian art was affected by European art of 17th- 18th centuries. In the present study, specimens from the Armenian wall paintings decorating the walls and domes of three churches and one house in New Julfa- Isfahan, were analysed in order to identify the pigments used. In light of the fact that Armenian wall paintings have never before been fully investigated, this study reveals important information about the pigment pallet which have been used in Armenian buildings of New Julfa in 17th century. Accordingly, the pigment analysis was carried out chiefly to establish the palette of the Armenian wall paintings with respect to Iranian traditional palette and find out different influences of European artists as well. The analytical techniques employed for the characterization of the pigments and materials were XRF (X-Ray Fluorescence), Micro Raman spectroscopy, and FTIR for all samples and SEM-EDX and XRD (X-Ray Diffraction) for some samples. This information contributes to a better understanding of Armenian wall paintings techniques and, ultimately, may aid conservators in their efforts to preserve these art works.