https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/s13360-024-05887-5
Review
Network analysis of research articles on mural paintings
Physics Research Centre, Baselius College, 686001, Kottayam, Kerala, India
Received:
11
July
2024
Accepted:
28
November
2024
Published online:
9
December
2024
Scientific research on mural paintings and pigments has great significance in understanding the historical, cultural, and artistic heritage and the material composition as well as their deterioration processes and all these together can facilitate the conservation and restoration of artworks. Unfortunately, these murals are susceptible to degradation due to microbial attack and various other environmental conditions. In this review, we have studied the network structure, evolution and dynamics of the research articles published on various aspects of mural paintings. Research articles included in this study are selected from web of science database using multiple keywords related to mural paintings. A collection of 160 articles published world-wide during the period 2018 to 2024 and the references therein are analysed using CiteSpace network analysis. The investigative study focussed on nine clusters with 292 articles, 205 research authors, 302 co-cited authors, 145 institutions, 39 countries, 285 journals and 226 corresponding keywords. “Microbial degradation of paintings” by O. Ciferri being the most cited reference, Italy is the topmost country, and Kepa Castro from the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) is the topmost author. Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Italy with 15 publications is the leading organization. From the analysis we were able to identify the leading journals and publishers in the field mural paintings and pigments. From cluster analysis, it is found that material degradation due to various environmental factors accelerate the deterioration of these historic paintings. Incorporation/application of nanomaterials in mural colours and paintings is a very promising pathway to conserve these valuable artefacts and it can also lead to interdisciplinary collaboration between artists, scientists, conservators.
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/s13360-024-05887-5.
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© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Società Italiana di Fisica and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2024
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
