George Pol GEORGHIOU (Cypriot, 1901 – 1972)

Untitled acrylic on novopan chipboard 101 x 122 cm Provenance private collection, Cyprus The present owner inherited this artwork from his father NOTE This lot is accompanied with a “Scientific Analysis Report” conducted by the APAC Laboratories, Cyprus. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Examination and Evaluation of George Pol Georghiou Painting Analysis Data Physicochemical and radiochemical analyses in works of art are often helpful in dating these works. In the case of George Pol Georghiou’s work, an examination and analysis of the painting's substrate (wood) and pigments were conducted. Since there is no existing database of analyses from Pol Georghiou's works to allow for comparative study and identification, it was necessary to aim at and prove whether the age of the materials used in the painting coincides with the period during which the artist was active. Since the wooden substrate of the painting is chipboard, which belongs to the category of industrial wood, dendrochronology could not be applied to it. However, it can be chronologically placed before 1965 with certainty because its manufacturing technology perfectly matches that of the first type of industrial wood made in 1932 in Germany by Himmelheber. After 1965, the manufacturing technology of chipboard underwent various modifications by different industries, resulting in the final evolution known today, which does not resemble at all the older version of chipboard present in the painting. The XRF analysis conducted at 20 different points reveals the chemical composition of the colours. In these 20 points, the following colours were identified: zinc white, lead white, cadmium red, black, and ochre shades. The colours that provided clear XRF analysis based on their chemical composition do not raise any doubts about the painting's dating to around 1960, as none of them were produced later than this year but had been used by painters for hundreds of years before 1960. Therefore, the combination of the results regarding the age of the wood and pigments supports the dating of the work within the active years of the artist Pol Georghiou. Kostas Gerasimou BA in restoration of works of art, antiquities and museology. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The full “Scientific Analysis Report” can be supplied on request.