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A thirteenth-century sacred and profane wall painting has been rediscovered during renovation work in a city castle in Krems, Lower Austria. A frieze with alternating blue circles and green diamonds attracted attention to the unusual green colour. Several analyses by means of light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy-energy-dispersive X-ray analysis and laboratory and synchrotron X-ray diffraction show that the green colour stems mainly from clinoatacamite, a copper trihydroxychloride polymorph of Cu2(OH)3Cl which has probably been synthesized for this masterpiece. The pigment has been mixed in a lime matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses how the installation of an air conditioning system and the general restoration of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, Austria changed the climate control practices in order to preserve paintings. Information is provided on how the location of paintings hanging on museum walls had to be changed to avoid condensation that can occur with changing surface temperatures. Noted paintings impacted by these changes include "Nymph and Shepherd" by Titian, "Deep Winter" by Pieter Breughel and "Encounter Before the Battle of Nördlingen" by Peter Paul Rubens.