The Conservation Project of the Statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Maria Grazia Zenzani & Valentina Lupo Atelier del Restauro ltd
The 18th century statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is a life-size wooden polychrome and gilded sculpture (1.82 cm in height). The compromised state of conservation of both the wooden support and paint layer have prompted the Confraternity of Our lady of Mount Carmel in commissioning a professional detailed condition assessment of the state of conservation of the statue in March 2019 to Atelier del Restauro ltd. Several factors most probably including ambient conditions, depletion of original materials, handling and past restoration interventions have lead to a variety of damages presenting themselves over time affecting the current state of conservation of the wooden support and the consecutive preparatory and polychrome layers.
36 Festa Madonna tal-Karmnu
Wooden sculptures are particularly sensitive to ambient conditions. Cracks were most probably caused due to a loss of cohesion after that the wood experienced internal physical stresses caused by a combination of factors. Mechanical shock and vibrations from transport and handling in the past might also be the cause of cracks. Inclination transfers the weight of the statue on more fragile areas, generating pressures that can form cracks. The movement of the wood has also formed an overriding network of microscopic cracks in the polychromy, leading to losses and flaking of paint. From the examination carried out it was concluded that the main problem the statue was suffering from was a loss of adhesion between the preparation (gesso) layer (including colour) and the wooden
