Interpretative e-Learning Personalization: Methodology, Formal Aspects and generic Scenarios of Individual/Group Dynamics. A case of a course in art history.

International audienceMost of today’s e-learning development focus on knowledge formats and production, supposing perhaps that reception can be seen as the symmetric case of production in a courseware. In other words, that the point of view of the teacher may be transposed towards the learner. Nevertheless, understanding is an interpretation-dependent process, lying mainly on reading Strategies adopted by the learner. We may thus wonder whether it is yet possible to conceive systems whose architecture is driven by hermeneutical principles (i.e. where the interpretational activity is considered as a priority, and the role of the receptor of the course in the very constitution of the course is at least as important as this of the teacher) inherited from [3]. A reading strategy may be represented as a knowledge path built up from information put at disposal in the framework of a course. The aim of our work is to furnish some modeling issues in such a direction, using as case study academic course in art history. In collaboration with the Art Diagnosis Centre of Ormylia (Greece), some of us contributed, in the framework of various projects, to the setting up of a fine art ontology (over 30 000 concepts) able to cover the knowledge of large range iconographic corpora (see, for instance, [1])

The Byzantine wall paintings from the protaton church on Mount Athos, Greece: tradition and science

The present work is a study of the wall painting complex in the Protaton Church (1295) on Mount Athos, Greece. These paintings, high in artistic value, are themselves a monument-representative of the Macedonian iconographic style. What follows is historic data set against the results of analytical investigations: the fruit of extensive research aimed at determining precise details about the applied painting techniques for the wall paintings. Hitherto it has been held that what was traditionally defined as "Byzantine fresco" was executed only on wet plaster with limewater as the sole binding medium. Now, however, through the application of instrumental analytical investigations, it is possible to demonstrate that a mixed technique involving both alfresco and al secco was employed. Furthermore, it was determined, on the basis of results from gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS), that egg together with a modest amount of animal glue were the organic binding media used for the Protaton art work. It is certain that the scenes were initially begun on wet plaster. During or even after drying the painting was completed using the aforementioned protein binding media, thanks to which a more resistant cohesion to the painted layers was secured. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

From Byzantine to post-Byzantine art: the painting technique of St Stephen's wall paintings at Meteora, Greece

The old katholikon of St Stephen's monastery at the Meteora (site of the most important complex of monasteries in Greece after Mount Athos) is decorated with wall paintings that date from the beginning of 17th century. In terms of style, the artistic ensemble is altogether characteristic of the period. The painting technique has been examined by means of pRaman and pFTIR spectroscopies, gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC/MS), optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Prior to the commencement of restoration treatment, and in order to optimise its effect, it was considered prudent to identify the materials and ascertain the techniques that had been used to apply the plaster and the paint layers. It was noted that whereas the ariccio consists of yellow clay and straw, the intonaco contained calcite. The painter's palette is made up of eight pigments: calcite, carbon black, yellow ochre, haernatite, green earth, cinnabar, smalt and malachite. The stratigraphy and the scale of the shades differ significantly from those in works of the Palaeologan period (1261-1453) - indicative both of evolution in Byzantine iconography as a result of gradually changing religious and social circumstances, and of the skill and vision of the painter. In addition, some decay products, such as gypsum, were detected. In that they conceal important artistic details, this necessitates proper consolidation, cleaning and conservation treatment in order to restore to some degree the original splenclour of the wall paintings. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved