Reconsideration on the Process of Making and Chronology of Wall Paintings of Rock-cut Churches in Cappadocia with Digital Documenting Techniques

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K20680
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 1:Philosophy, art, and related fields
• Research Institution: Kanazawa University
• Principal Investigator: Sugawara Hirofumi 金沢大学, 人文学系, 准教授 (40537875)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-07-30 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 西洋美術史 / ビザンティン美術史 / カッパドキア / 岩窟聖堂 / 写真測量法 / 3D / RTI / 編年構築

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The process of creating wall paintings by excavating cave dwellings is generally assumed to involve a progression from stonemason to plasterer to painter. However, the reality of wall painting production before the Western Middle Ages (15th century) remains elusive due to the lack of textual records documenting their activities. Therefore, in this study, the latest digital documentation techniques were employed to analyze the patterns of stonemason chisel marks, plasterer brush strokes, and painter brushstrokes, which were difficult to perceive and record. As a result, the temporal and spatial activity range of the professional groups in Cappadocia could generally be identified, and the chronological divisions, previously based on painting styles in 50-year increments, were refined to 25- to 30-year intervals by also considering the craftsmen's life cycles.

Free Research Field

西洋美術史

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の意義は、デジタル技術を効果的に援用することで石工の鑿痕や左官の刷毛跡をも「個人様式」と再定義し、古典的な絵画様式による分析・分類を多角的・複眼的・科学的に補強したことにある。石工や左官をも射程に入れて壁画を総括的に捉える本研究の編年構築法は、世界各地の壁画研究に応用でき、美術史・技法史・建築史・考古学・文化財科学を学際的に融合させた好例である。美術史の資料写真はアド・ホックで汎用性に乏しかった。対してカメラとパソコンさえあれば構築可能な写真測量法やRTIは構築しさえすれば使途は無限であり、本研究により新しい美術史研究のあり方が示された。