3 Painting on canvas

3

Painting on canvas

Material/Technique

Oil painting

Title/topic

El port de Barcelona (the port of Barcelona)

Author

Eliseu Meifrén i Roig (Barcelona, 1859-1940)

Date/Period

1887

CRBMC Register NO

11361

Coordination Maite Toneu

Restoration

Esther Gual, Maria Sala and David Silvestre

Year of restoration

2011

The painting depicts a panoramic view of the port of Barcelona. The author, Eliseu Meifrén, lived through the age of Modernism, although his work is more influenced by French Impressionism.

State of conservation

The work suffered from two problems: the first was the deformations caused by a previous intervention, while the second had to do with the execution of the work.

The first was due to an incorrect process of restretching, carried out with an aqueous system and with a canvas that was too thick and hygroscopic, absorbing an excess of moisture over a long time period of time, while this operation was being carried out. The result was shrinkage in the support canvas, vertical deformations, the weakening of the preparation layer and the appearance of widespread losses in the pictorial layer.

The second problem was the existence of an underlying paint, which made the visible layer less cohesive with the preparation layer because there was another underneath. In addition, the examination under UV light revealed the widespread existence of retouching and repainting. Three types could be distinguished: in blue, others in brown, and some also in black. An oxidized varnish was also detected.

Intervention

The intervention of the work began by attaching areas of the pictorial and preparation layers with sturgeon glue, at a controlled temperature. Then the back was cleaned, with the

 Close-up of the deformations on the work before the intervention. Photograph with raking light

 Close-up of the state of the pictorial layer before the intervention

General photo of the work after the intervention

removal of dust and surface dirt. On the front, the remains of the glue from the papered layer of the previous restoration, and the retouched parts, were removed using a gelled buffer solution of pH 8 and chelating agent. To remove the varnish and blue and brown repainted areas, a non polar mixture of gelled solvents was used, and for the black areas a much more polar, gelled mixture was chosen. To soften and remove the papers and putty that were hidden by the repainted parts, a base gel was again used.

Once the cleaning had been done, a decision was taken to remove the canvas from the restretching because it had a very thick seam that stood out along the entire pictorial layer. The remains of the adhesive left on the original canvas was removed mechanically, dry, and where the thickness of the glue layer was significant, a water-based gel was applied to soften it. The whole process was done vertically so the state of the painting could be checked at all times, except for the perimeter, which was worked on horizontally, since it couldn’t be accessed until the frame had been removed.

The consolidation of the support consisted of strengthening the edges. A perimeter strip was placed on the right side of the linen canvas, with an acrylic adhesive, applied with a screen and activated with a non polar solvent. The other three sides without a strip were reinforced with the adhesion of a thin polyester gauze impregnated with a thermoplastic vinyl adhesive.

The consolidation of the tears and the cuts was done by welding the threads, with the use of sturgeon glue and wheat starch, and it was reinforced with the same fine gauze used

Close-up of the seams on the back before the intervention on the three sides. Linen threads were attached to the most damaged areas in groups of three, impregnated with thermoplastic vinyl adhesive.

To reassemble the painting vertically, the wooden frame was replaced, since it had been deformed by the tension of the restretching, with an expandable wood and aluminum one with homogeneous and selective tensioning.

For the final presentation, a traditional putty, made of animal glue and filler, was used to level out the gaps. For the pictorial reintegration, with the aim of creating an illusion, an aqueous system was used first to tone the white putty, and then pigments with a resin of low molecular weight. Between the two reintegration systems, a varnish with a low molecular weight resin was applied over the whole painting.

Finally, the back of the work was protected by placing a breathable, high-density polyethylene fabric to protect it from dust and dirt, and at the same time to mitigate any variations in relative humidity.

It should be noted that strict conditions for the conservation and monitoring of the work have been established, as the vicissitudes suffered by this painting, especially the aggressive and unjustified restretching, have made it very sensitive to environmental variations.

In the future it will require very controlled and stable preventive conservation conditions.

— Maria Sala

Unstitching from the seam of the relining fabric

State of the back before the intervention. You can see the fabric used for relining, with a seam in the middle that bisects the piece and various glue marks of glue

Protection of the back after the intervention Close-up of the back after the intervention

One of the unique features of the Renaissance organ of the Tarragona Cathedral are the monumental doors that enclose it at the height of the pipes, which still work thanks to the conservation-restoration intervention.

The doors are made up of two leaves, each covered with two canvasses painted using the tempera technique. The four large paintings on canvas are by the painter Pietro Paolo de Montalbergo, one of the greatest exponents of the 16th century. The scenes depicted are: the Annunciation, visible when the doors are closed, and the birth and resurrection of Jesus Christ, visible when the doors are open.

State of conservation

One of the main factors affecting the project was the fact that the two door leaves had previously been removed from the hinges and were stored away, leaning against each other in an upright position, and there was no documentation of the operation.

Each of the leaves consists of a fixed frame of linden wood, with top rails, stiles and diagonal bars. Each leaf has 5 large iron hinges to attach the doors to the organ. The entire wooden structure was severely weakened due to an attack by xylophagous insects, to the point that it did not function as a support structure.

The four supporting canvasses of the paintings are made up of five pieces of linen cloth with taffeta weave, joined with vertical seams. They had several tears; deformations due to the problems of the rigid support; holes made by the common furniture beetle, and rust in the area of the nails used to attach them to the wood of the frame at the front.

Close-up of the condition of the stretcher on the right door leaf. The wood was in very poor condition due to an invasion of xylophagous insects

 The organ with the doors installed and open, after the intervention. The interior scenes are visible: on the left, the Nativity of Jesus and the annunciation to the shepherds, and on the right, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

Object

Doors of the Renaissance organ. Two door leaves with paintings on canvas, one on each side of the organ’s door leaf

Material/Technique

Glue tempera

Title/Topic

Depiction of three scenes: Annunciation by the Archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary, visible when the doors are closed and hiding the organ pipes, Nativity of Jesus and annunciation to the shepherds

Author

Pietro Paolo de Montalbergo (Fornelli del Monferrato, 1520? - Barcelona, 1588)

Date/Period

Second half of the 16th century (1562-1565)

Dimensions 7 × 4.63 m

Location

Central nave, left side, over the heart of Tarragona cathedral (Tarragonès county)

Technical management and conservation-restoration plans

Maite Toneu (CRBMC) i Maria Sala and David Silvestre, conservator-restorers

Conservator-restorers

David Silvestre (team leader), Lourdes Domedel, Irene Panadés, Voravit Roonthiva, Maria Sala and Teresa Schreibweis

Support conservator-restorers

Cira Castells, Mireia Cerrada, Pau Claramonte, Tània Grevolosa, Esther Gual, Maite Toneu, Guillem Massalles, Maria Mayo, Daniel Morales, Glòria Palomares, Laura Ruggieri and Xavier Serra

Structural study and design of new door leaves

Jordi Payola, architect and structural consultant

Construction and installation of new door leaves

Tomás Duaso, carpenter specializing in cultural heritage

Logistics and movement of works

Joan Ramon Aromí (Nordest Museum and Exhibit Services, SL)

Physico-chemical analysis

Ricardo Suárez and Ruth Sadurní (CRBMC)

Scientific photography

Ramon Maroto (CRBMC) and Jenny Sánchez

Ortothophotography

Daniel Santos (Octocam-maps)

Drone, photos and time lapse recording

Voravit Roonthiva, conservator-restorer of cultural artefacts

Restoration of door opening mechanism

Xavier Mercader, watchmaker, and Tomàs Querol

Structural reinforcement and anchorage

Serralleria Brunet

Carpentry support and logistics

Carmelo Ortega (CRBMC) and Marc Serrano

Instrument advice and supervision

Jordi Vergés, head organist at the cathedral, and Oscar Laguna, organ builder

Preventive conservation

Maria José Gracia (CRBMC)

Documentation

Maria Ferreiro, Àngels Planell and Mònica Salas (CRBMC), and Roser Martín (technician from the Heritage Delegation of the Chapter of Tarragona Cathedral)

Historical study

Dr Joaquim Garriga (†) and Antonio Pedro Martínez

Years of restoration

plans (2012) and conservation-restoration (January 2017–August 2018)

The thin pictorial layer, using tempera, was worn away in parts and contained gaps in others. There were also the remains of an old restoration, an uneven varnish which had aged and darkened. All this, along with the accumulated dirt, distorted the quality of the work.

Intervention

The door restoration project adopted a strategic and ambitious approach. The aim was to gain a deep understanding of the work, to provide maximum stability and improve its readability, and finally to return the doors to their place of origin, one on each side of the organ, at the height of the pipes, and fix the opening and closing mechanism. Achieving the objectives required the coordination of a multidisciplinary team of professionals, who worked together and exchanged knowledge and experiences.

The work was done in situ. First, the pictorial surface was cleaned, with the leaf standing upright, initially with an aqueous gel and then in a second phase using solvents. The process continued with the consolidation of the canvas support: this was detached from the frame, rolled up, and moved to where it could be worked on horizontally. The back was cleaned, the deformations were reduced, and the tears were sewn up while the holes were covered by applying fabric grafts. Also, the perimeter was reinforced with strips of linen cloth.

The presentation system consisted of applying a low molecular weight varnish and a hatching technique was used for the visible chromatic reintegration.

New Canadian red cedar wood strainers were designed and built and the original hinges were adapted.

Orthophotos were taken to obtain the precise sizes of the hinges and to adapt them to the geometry of the area where they would be anchored to the organ. A prototype was used to test the functioning of the opening and closing mechanism, and the sizes and distribution of the hinges were adjusted.

— Maite Toneu and David Silvestre

The doors removed from the organ, as they were before the intervention began UV-light observation of the cleaning process on the Nativity scene, with the conservator-restorers studying the piece Geometry of the stretchers. The right door leaf with the exterior cloth installed on the new stretcher with vertical, horizontal and three diagonal crossbars

Close-up of the opening and closing mechanism: articulated arms  The organ with the doors closed after the intervention, with the Annunciation by the Archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary scene

Material/Technique

Oil painting

Author

Unknown

Date/Period 17th century

Dimensions

234 × 350 cm

Coordination Maite Toneu

Restoration

Ruth Bagán, Irene Panadés and David Silvestre

Years of restoration

2013-2014

The painting depicts the most important monks and exponents in general of the rosary, under a tree that symbolizes the expansion of this prayer and the protection it affords to people of all walks of life. In the middle is a tree with large branches from which rosaries sprout.

State of conservation

The work arrived at the Centre (CRBMC) from the Manresa County Museum, rolled up in a large cylinder, and underwent several preliminary examinations. The analyses carried out using ultraviolet light showed a type of fluorescence that ruled out the existence of a terpene varnish. The laboratory work revealed that the canvas was made up of bast fibres.

Intervention

The work was in a poor state of conservation. It had no frame, but the museum had documentary evidence that ther had been a rather unique one, with hinges, which bent the canvas at an angle. Most of the deterioration of the canvas had been caused by these hinges and their rust.

There were rips and tears, most of them caused by manmade accidents, except in the case of a large U-shaped cut, located in the middle of the canvas, which seemed to have been made on purpose. The canvas suffered from malformations all over. It looked like it had been folded over. This seemed to be the cause of most of the losses of the preparation and polychrome layers.

The laboratory concluded that the technique used was oil painting, applied on a preparation layer, using an organic protein glue and a filler of calcium carbonate. This layer was poorly adhered to the canvas, leading to the loss of large areas of the preparation and polychrome layers.

The pictorial layer was covered in inorganic dirt, in many areas, mixed with a superimposed layer of protein origin. The combination of this protein layer and the absence of an underlying varnish had caused the dust to stuck to the pigments. Meanwhile, the porosity of the pictorial layer made it difficult to remove the dirt.

The restoration process consisted of the following phases:

a) Cleaning: On the back, this was limited to a superficial removal by controlled indirect vacuuming. The CRBMC’s protocol tests were performed on the front. The aqueous test gave positive results, both for the removal of inorganic dirt and for the removal of the added glues. Following these results, it was cleaned with a buffer solution of pH 8.5 with chelating agent, applied by means of a gel system. was applied to the parts where the paint had lifted using a fine brush or by injection.

c) Consolidation of the canvas: With regard to the perimeter of the canvas, strips of linen with a fringe of separate threads were applied to prevent the spread of the adhesive. An acrylic emulsion applied cold and reactivated with isopropanol was chosen as the adhesive.

To fix the tears, cuts and holes, the fabrics of the grafts were dyed, to achieve a tone similar to that of the original base. The tears, rips and grafts were welded using sturgeon glue and wheat starch.

In some treated areas, the welds were reinforced with a thin high-strength polyester gauze, impregnated with acrylic thermoplastic resin diluted in cyclohexane and reactivated at a controlled temperature.

In the case of the large U-shaped tear of the larger grafts, it was necessary to apply a final reinforcement of vertical linen threads impregnated with the same adhesive. A new hybrid aluminium and wood frame with a selective tensioning system was chosen to avoid the strong vibrations of traditional tensioning systems.

The final display system, chosen in agreement with the museum, was archaeological. The existing gaps did not affect the readability of the work and, since the accompanying painting had also been restored according to this criterion, this ensured consistency in the way they were displayed.

The work required a final layer of varnish using a very stable low molecular weight resin. As a final element of protection for the back, a high density polyethylene non-woven fabric was chosen.

— David Silvestre

Close-up of the treatment of the support fabric of the perimeter area

Close-up of the poor state of conservation of the support fabric

Process of disassembling the canvas from the frame for transport to the museum once restored

Material/Technique

Tempera paintings on canvas, mounted on wooden supports

Title/Topic

Novena for souls: figure 1: The king accompanied by death; figure 2: Science; figure 3: Beauty, and figure 4: Wealth

Author

Unknown

Dimensions

The king accompanied by death: 255 × 110 × 5 cm Science; 265 × 98 × 5 cm Beauty: 205 × 100 × 4.5 cm, and Wealth 203 × 105 × 5 cm

Origin

Probably from the church of Sant Pere, Santpedor (Bages county)

Location

Manresa County Museum, Manresa (Bages county)

The four pieces are part of a set of seven figures from a novena for souls that is preserved in the Manresa County Museum (MCM). It is liturgical scene that was set up in churches for seven or nine days from November 2, for worshipping the dead. The painted images of the souls of different social classes, burning in purgatory and accompanied by Death were placed on the high altar. Due to their temporary nature, and often due to the fragility of the materials they were comprised of, many of these sets have disappeared; fortunately, this is not the case for this group, possibly from the church of Sant Pere, in Santpedor (Bages county).

These are tempera-painted canvases mounted on wooden supports. Chronologically and structurally, there are two groups: Beauty and Wealth, painted in the 18th century, on linen canvases and mounted on frames, and Science and The King Accompanied by Death, painted in the 19th century, on cotton cloth, nailed and attached to wooden posts. The latter contain instructive captions below each one. In all the paintings the profiles of the support follow the shapes of the representations and they all have crossbars on the back.

State of conservation

Regarding the state of conservation, the wood displayed certain alterations, including cracks, breaks, loss of material, holes created by xylophagous insects, as well as some deformations and separations between posts. Some reinforcements had been added subsequently. Despite this, they were not in a poor state of conservation. The canvases of Beauty and Wealth were considerably thicker than the other two, made of thin cotton thread. All of them had tensioning issues, deformations, wrinkles, loose stitches, some losses, as well as numerous tears due to bumps and knocks. In the case of Science and The King Accompanied by Death, water stains were also visible. The canvas supports also showed signs of previous restorations, including studs which had used to nail parts of the torn canvas that hung loose. These, and the other metal elements used in the works, were rusted.

As for the preparation and pictorial layers, there were parts that had lifted and losses with respect to the canvas support. The pictorial layer had cracks, worn areas and water stains. However, adherence to the preparation layer was generally good. On the surface, there was dirt and stains of various kinds, and none of the works had a coat of varnish.

Intervention

The intervention included an anoxia disinfection treatment. The wooden supports were stabilized through the adhesion of the broken parts and the incorporation of grafts where the material had been lost. The metal elements were treated to prevent further rust. The canvases were mechanically cleaned and consolidated: sewing of the seams, application of grafts and reinforcements to tears and gaps. The deformations were also reduced. The pictorial and preparation layers were attached with organic glue. The cleaning of the polychrome was carried out mainly dry, with the exception of skin-coloured areas, which were cleaned using an aqueous system. Finally, the reintegration of the gaps was carried out in such a way as to create an illusion.

— Irene Panadés

Restoration

Rosa Martínez, Irene Panadés and Laia Roca; interns: Clara Bailach, Carla Enrique, Marta Estadella and Carol Folch

Year of restoration

2014

Back of the paintings after the restoration

Material/Technique

Oil painting

Author

Antoni Viladomat i Manalt (Barcelona, 1678-1755)

Date/Period

18th century

Dimensions

96 × 90.5 cm

CRBMC Register NO

12236

Coordination Maite Toneu

Restoration

Beatriz Montobbio and Núria Piqué

Year of restoration

2014

Pentecost is a common theme in Christian art, based on the Jewish holiday that celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit. Antoni Viladomat captures this scene in a painting inserted in an altarpiece. We know the existence of three more paintings that make up the set: Presentació al temple (Presentation at the temple), Flagel·lació (Flagellation) and Ascensió (Ascension), which are preserved in the museum itself.

This painting has survived to the present day without traces of previous restorations, so it is offers a good insight into the material characteristics of the painter’s work.

State of conservation

The painting is on a canvas made of bast fibres, woven in simple plain weave cloth, with irregular Z-twist threads (8.5 threads/cm² × 10 threads/cm²). It had rips tears and holes, one of which was covered with a piece of fabric from an old restoration.

The fabric had been nailed to its original fixed frame with half lap joints and tenons at the angles. The wood was in a very deteriorated state of conservation, having suffered a severe attack by xylophagous insects, which had weakened it, and there was a great deal of surface dirt.

The preparation layer was a traditional ochre clay and was quite thick and, in general, was well adhered to the canvas and the pictorial layer. The work contained gaps in the preparation layer that coincided with the two tears in the lower central area.

The pictorial layer is oil painted with a brush, applied with different thicknesses, with a clear predominance of earthy tones, on which the light skin tone stands out, on which material elements were applied to brighten it. The pictorial layer was well adhered to the preparation layer, but in some areas there was uplifting and losses, due to poor handling and moisture.

It had abundant surface dirt, mainly due to airborne dust from the environment, air pollution, smoke and candle soot, which had adhered to the pictorial layer and altered its readability.

Intervention

The conservation-restoration process of the painting followed the criteria of minimum intervention and maximum respect for the integrity of the work, in order to achieve maximum stability and allow a uniform reading of the painting.

After the anoxia disinfection treatment, the pictorial layer was fixed to the suction table, using controlled heat and the application of organic glue. The frame was cleaned and reinforced to give it more stability, while maintaining any historical additions.

The deformed parts of the fabric were reduced and the rips and holes were fixed through micro-stitching, reinforced with bridge threads. Tension points were added using synthetic fabric, adhered with hot-melt adhesive applied in thin layers.

The cleaning of the pictorial layer was done after a cleaning test carried out by the CRBMC, with a pH 7 solution. Following the criteria of minimum intervention and respect for the original it was decided that the painting should not be varnished.

The gaps were filled in with a traditional putty applied with a brush. The chromatic reintegration was designed to create an illusion, using low molecular weight pigments and varnishes.

As a preventive conservation measure, the back of the work was protected, with a non-woven high density polyethylene fabric, chemically neutral and breathable, to prevent the accumulation of dust and other particles, and as a barrier to reduce the effects of thermo-hygrometric fluctuations and biological attacks.

— Beatriz Montobbio and Núria Piqué

Close-up of the upper part of the painting before the intervention

Close-up of the upper part of the painting after the intervention Levelling the pictorial layer with putty

Material/Technique

Oil on canvas

Title/Topic

The Assumption of Mary

Author

Antoni Viladomat i Manalt (Barcelona, 1678-1755)

Date/Period 1728-1750

Dimensions

3.5 × 2 m (frameless)

Location

Temporarily on display at the Manresa County Museum (Bages county)

CRBMC Register NO

12495

Coordination Maite Toneu

Restoration

Irene Panadés, Maria Sala and David Silvestre

Year of restoration

2015

The painting was part of the altarpiece located in what was the chapel of the Brotherhood of All Saints, now the chapel of the Holy Christ of the Manresa Cathedral, which was burned during the Spanish Civil War. At the time of the restoration, the painting was hanging in the chapel in front of the baptistery. It is a very interesting work by the author, both due to its exceptionally rich use of colour and its complex composition, which includes an earthly part, depicting the open tomb and the apostles, and a heavenly part, showing the angels raising the Virgin up and the Trinity, with its court.

State of conservation

When the work arrived at the CRBMC, a series of studies were carried out to analyse the materials and the state of conservation.

The support consists of two pieces of canvas measuring 120 × 350 cm and 80 × 350 cm, respectively, which are joined by a single vertical seam. The fabric is made from plain weave cloth. It has a density of approximately 9 × 10 threads/cm, and the analysed fibre is bast.

The canvas is attached, using studs, to a fixed coniferous wood frame, which is made up of three battens and two upper pieces of wood, cut in the shape of a semicircle and with two concave ends.

An examination with ultraviolet light revealed a semitransparent green fluorescence, typical of terpene resins. GS-MS chromatography indicates that the resin is triterpene.

An examination with IR light revealed the existence of a correction by the painter, located on the right hand of the Mother of God, where modifications to some of the fingers are visible. A stratigraphy of the sky area reveals two differentiated layers of paint on the reddish preparation, in different areas of the painting.

A Fourier Transform-Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) detected Prussian blue and white lead. Organic shellac was also found on Mary’s red dress.

The preparation layer is quite thick compared to the painting and has a bright red colour due to the presence of red ochre mixed with calcium carbonate. The analysis found there to be oil in the composition. These types of oily layers were common in Baroque primers, and the results of the analyses confirmed that Viladomat had also used them.

Several pieces of cloth were found on the back. Of note in terms of the deterioration of the base were some vertical cuts in the canvas, especially the one located in the lower area, where the tomb of the Mother of God is depicted The perimeters of the canvas were also badly damaged and torn.

The varnish was in an advanced state of oxidation and acidification which distorted the original colours and yellowed the whole painting. The entire surface of the varnish was covered in a very encrusted layer of dirt.

Intervention

The first decision we took was to keep the original frame, after determining that it could still perform its function of providing a rigid support. The entire stabilization, disinfestation and consolidation process, both of the wood and of the canvas, was carried out without detaching the painting, in order to preserve the original tension and not add any more any stress.

The consolidation of the canvas consisted in removing old pieces using a gel polar solvent, stitching up all the tears thread by thread, using sturgeon glue and wheat starch, and applying reinforcements with a gauze made of polyester or linen threads and thermoplastic adhesive. The holes were grafted with fabric similar to the original.

In the parts which had become slack, small strips of elongated sailcloth fabric were added, which when stuck to the original canvas using thermoplastic provided selective tensioning.

The surface of the painting was cleaned in two phases, following the CRBMC’s current protocols. The first, in which the surface dirt was removed, involved a buffer solution with a pH of 7, applied by means of a gel system.

For the second phase, the removal of varnish and repainted areas, a non polar mixture of solvents was used, applied in a gel to prevent penetration.

The final presentation of the painting followed the principle of creating an illusion, with losses filled in using traditional putty and the chromatic reintegration involving pure pigments bound with a highly reversible resin. A very stable low molecular weight aliphatic resin was selected as a final layer of varnish.

As a preventive measure, the canvas was insulated from the wooden frame by placing a non-woven fabric of high density polyethylene in between the two. Finally, to protect the back from dust and temperature variations, a second outer layer of the same polyethylene fabric was placed in between.

— David Silvestre

Photograph after the restoration

Back of the painting; application of the protective fabric inside the frame

Material/Technique

Oil painting

Title/Topic

Fishermen and still life of fish

Author

Antoni Viladomat i Manalt (Barcelona, 1678-1755)

Date/Period

18th century

CRBMC Register NO

13128

Coordination Maite Toneu

Restoration

Maria Sala (team leader) and Olga Íñigo

This painting by Viladomat, one of the most productive Catalan Baroque painters, was found in 2016 by the historian Francesc Miralpeix, in the house of the Rocamora Private Cultural Foundation, the residence of Manuel Rocamora i Vidal in the Putxet district of Barcelona where his collections are preserved.

The painting depicts a fishing scene, in which the two characters are dressed in tunics reminiscent of the time of Jesus and the apostles, with a still life, comprised of fish common to the Mediterranean, in the foreground.

The painting has a very varied colour palette, unlike the artist’s paintings of saints, which are very dark. Particularly striking is the painter’s characteristic use of bright white, as well as the reddish preparation that can be glimpsed where there are losses.

State of conservation

The painting had been relined during an old restoration and had a deformation as a result of a knock. The pictorial layer had undergone a very invasive cleaning, varnishing and repainting process with very little respect for the work. The varnish layer was altered and prevented appreciation of the nuances of the colours of the paint. As for the frame, which appeared not to be the original, it was made up of four simple battens of gilded wood, nailed to the edges of the painting.

Intervention

The treatment of the support involved preserving the relining. The cleaning process began with the removal of dry surface dust. Aqueous cleaning was then carried out, using a gelled buffer solution with a pH of 8 and chelating agent. For the removal of the varnish and previous touch-ups, a polar mixture of gelled solvents was used, which was left to act for three minutes and removed using dry swabs, in combination with a more non polar mixture. To eliminate the putty and paper, which encroached on the original paint, a gelled aqueous system was used to soften and mechanically remove the excess. The cleaning of the frame also started out dry; then using an emulsion, any insect droppings found were removed mechanically.

The old putty was replaced with a traditional one, made from animal glue and a filler. The presentation system involved a pictorial reintegration with the idea of creating an illusion. First, an aqueous system was used to tone the white filler putty with the characteristic reddish colour of the artist, and then using pigments with a low molecular weight resin. Between the two reintegration systems, a varnish with a low molecular weight was applied.

The painting was assembled with a new framing system. The wooden wedges were fixed and a high-density breathable polyethylene fabric was placed over the whole of the back, in order to protect the work from dust and dirt and to mitigate somewhat any variations in relative humidity.

After the preliminary study of the work and this intervention, we can confirm that the previous restoration was so invasive that it distorted the work and cast doubt on its authorship.

— Maria Sala

Process of removing and reducing the putty and the paper that were found on the original

Photograph after the intervention

Material/Technique

Oil painting

Title/Topic

The Lamentation of Mary

Author

Attributed to Antoni Viladomat i Manalt (Barcelona, 1678-1755)

Date/Period

Baroque period

Location

Diocesan Museum of Tarragona, Tarragona (Tarragonès county)

CRBMC Register NO

12939

Restoration

Irene Panadés and Maria Sala

Year of restoration

2016

The work, which is attributed to Antoni Viladomat, was painted during his Tarragona period and ended up in the collection of the Diocesan Museum of Tarragona (MDT) during the 1980s. Over the years, it has undergone several interventions, some of them regrettable, severely damaging the painting’s great artistic quality.

State of conservation

The base is a linen canvas mounted on a strainer that, like the frame, may not be the originals. Although no significant deterioration was observed, the original canvas had been relined, a typical intervention method used at the time. This practice, however, had damaged the work, because as a result of the pressure and heat traditionally involved in these processes, the pictorial layer had been affected: the weave of the underlying fabrics was marked and the layers and daubs of paint were at risk. A traditional preparation layer had been used with a reddish hue, characteristic of the period and of the painter.

The pictorial layer, in oil, was worn down all over the upper area, possibly due to a previous cleaning process, and a very yellowed and darkened layer of varnish was visible, also the result of a restoration, as well as some repainting. The frame, made of wood with gilded and polychrome mouldings, had been heavily restored: it showed a great deal of repainting work, a very thick varnish, a lot of gloss and volumetric reintegrations made with epoxy resin and applied unevenly covering original parts. Beneath these layers was an older intervention consisting of alternate gilding and white paint in the mouldings. This layer covered a mecca gilding, whose scope and degree of losses we could not determine. On top of this there was a widespread loss of gilding and numerous holes caused by xylophagous insects.

Intervention

The intervention began with the disinfestation of the frame in the anoxic chamber. The painting and the frame then went through a cleaning process. A preliminary vacuuming of the back and the front was performed to remove the inorganic surface dirt. The wooden support was cleaned with water and ethanol. As for the pictorial surface of the painting, a watercontrolled, pH-controlled cleaning process was initially carried out. The varnish and the repainted areas were removed, after a prior test, using a mixture of polar solvents. In the case of the front of the frame, a mixture of gelled solvents and liquids was used to remove the varnish and repainted areas, and also to soften the epoxy resin, which was subsequently reduced or removed mechanically with a scalpel.

The presentation system, following the principle of creating an illusion, involved filling in gaps with traditional putty, and a chromatic reintegration using watercolours. In the case of the frame, the areas with loss of support were filled in with industrial putty; the chromatic reintegration was also performed using watercolours, with vertical hatching in the gilded areas and a retouching of the rest to create an illusion. Finally, the frame and painting were varnished with a low molecular weight resin, and the back was protected with a non-woven polyethylene fabric.

— Maria Sala

Material/Technique

Glue tempera

Title/Topic

Set of sixteen paintings depicting patriarchs and prophets

Author

Unknown

Date/Period

Final third of the 16th century

Dimensions

190 × 85 cm approximately (each one)

Location

Diocesan Museum of Urgell, Seu d’Urgell (Alt Urgell county)

CRBMC Register NO

11690, 12290, 12491, 13056 to 13058, 13247 to 13253 and 13452 to 13454

Restoration

Pau Claramonte, Lourdes Domedel, M. José Gràcia, Núria Lladó, Maria Sala, Teresa Schreibweis and David Silvestre

Years of restoration

2014 -2018

The collection of patriarchs and prophets is a set of sixteen paintings on canvas from the 16th century preserved in the Diocesan Museum of Urgell. The paintings are among the few figurative representations of Jacob and his twelve sons preserved in Europe, along with the series depicting the tribes of Israel by Zurbarán (c. 1640), preserved since the mid18th century in two English collections (Auckland Castle and Grimsthorpe Castle).

In this context, the Urgell series, dating from the last third of the 16th century, stands out for being the oldest of the preserved pictorial series, not only on canvas but in any pictorial discipline. Thematically, it is original: it is not based solely on Genesis, but also on the book The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, which was very popular in Central Europe and Britain in the 16th and 17th centuries.

The author is unknown. A previous school of thought attributed them to Antoni Peitaví but this restoration has cast doubt on this, while a study by Joan Bosch and Adrià Vázquez points to a Central European or French master, active in Catalonia or Aragon.

State of conservation

The paintings were in a poor state of conservation. Over the centuries, the works have undergone several interventions. It is documented that, at the end of the 19th century, all of them were repainted invasively by the local painter Oromí.

The painting technique used is glue tempera, on a very thin preparation layer. The canvas base is made of plain weave bast fibres. The paintings are framed with battens, also painted in tempera. The assembly, traditional at the time, is fixed, with the canvas nailed directly to the frame.

The pictorial layer showed scattered losses, which generally coincided with the losses of the support. The pictorial surface had a light layer of dust and dirt. The original canvasses of the set were in a very varied state, with the canvas intact in some paintings and only slightly deformed, while in others the losses, tears and deformations were abundant. As a common feature, they were all rusty, stiff, and brittle. In addition, all the works had been relined, which in some cases caused stresses and bubbling of varying degrees. There was evidence of very old interventions in the form of bits of paint, either original or from a very old second layer. These were not removed in case they were actually repairs carried out by the author himself. In any case, they indicate the need for further study of the works.

Intervention

The intervention was carried out following the protocols of the CRBMC, intervening as little as possible in order to stabilize the works as much as possible and recover their readability.

 Back of the canvas of the painting of the patriarch Gad, without a frame and during the restoration process  Back of the canvas during the process of consolidation of the support with localized treatment, through grafts and sewing, of the losses of fabric

Frameless painting of the patriarch Zebulun, before the restoration Painting of the patriarch Zebulun, after the intervention and with frame

Before deciding the appropriate course of action, a technicalscientific study was performed with X-rays, diffuse light, transmitted light, UV and IR. The extracted samples were used to analyse and identify the binding medium used in the pictorial layer, the pigments, the preparation and the canvas fibres.

A preventive anoxic disinfestation was performed. The support battens were then disassembled and the back of both the canvas and the frame were cleaned dry (with a vacuum cleaner and flat brush) to remove surface dust. The frame also underwent an aqueous cleaning process.

As for the pictorial layers of the painting, a water-controlled, pHcontrolled cleaning process was carried out, taking into account the fragility of some of the pigments. The repainted parts were removed in a controlled manner using a gelled solvent.

In some areas, the original canvasses were detached from the relined canvasses, so they had to be stuck back using suitable adhesives. Where parts of the canvas had been lost, linen grafts were stuck on with an organic glue and all the tears were sewn up. In the case of the patriarch Naphtali, the canvas was very loose and reinforcement strips were applied. The old relining was maintained, except in the patriarchs Issachar, Gad, and Judah, since it was not stable enough and was very loose. The first two were relined, while in the painting of Judah no new relining fabric had to be added because the original fabric was stable enough.

The final presentation consisted of a subtle reintegration using watercolours and with pigments and varnish. The area repainted with purpurin on the frames was removed, using a gelled solvent, the small losses were consolidated volumetrically and chromatically, and all the works were reassembled on their respective frames.

As a preventive conservation measure, the collection of paintings will be protected on both the front and the back when they are displayed.

Painting of the Patriarch Benjamin before and after the restoration

Chemical cleaning using gelled solvents Process of eliminating repainted layers

Material/Technique

Oil painting on canvas

Title/Topic

Amazons. Portraits of Delphina, Phoenecia, Hippolyta, Leandra, Penthesilea, Thalestris and Zenobia

Author

Unknown

Date/Period 16th century

Dimensions

116 × 82.5 cm each one approximately

Coordination Maite Toneu

Restoration

Pau Claramonte, Núria Lladó, Bea Montobbio, Núria Piqué, Teresa Schreibweis and Marta Vilà. Interns: Tania Grevolosa and Laura Ruggieri

Carpentry

Carmelo Ortega

Year of restoration

2017

The five paintings are part of a set of seven paintings that have been preserved so far in their original location and that, according to bibliographic evidence, were part of a set of sixteen portraits of Amazons. The author is still unknown and they were painted, according to experts, at the end of the 16th or beginning of the 17th century, making them some of the oldest preserved oil paintings on canvas in Catalonia. They are listed as a cultural asset of national interest (BCIN).

The Amazons, powerful women warriors, are part of a long mythical tradition, with an influence on various cultures. These paintings are three-quarter-length portraits, in a Renaissance style, which include the name of each Amazon depicted.

State of conservation

The canvasses, made up of several pieces of cloth joined with seams, are painted in oil, although, due to their matte appearance, they look more tempera paintings.

Their state of conservation was poor, with their stability compromised by several factors: the ageing of the materials; the effect of moisture, both direct and indirect, to which they were exposed at some point in the past, and, more significantly, old restoration interventions that basically affected the back of the canvasses. It should be stressed that the pictorial layer, despite showing signs of deterioration, had not been altered by repaintings nor layers of materials other than the original paint.

Consolidating one of the backs of the canvases, using less intrusive systems compared to the traditional ones

Intervention

The intervention criterion was based on taking the minimum necessary action to recover the material and structural integrity of the works, to stop their deterioration and improve their readability.

The consolidation of the support was complex and was carried out using modern and less intrusive techniques than the traditional ones: after removing the old pieces from the back and flattening the canvasses, the tears and holes were treated, respectively, with microsurgery and linen cloth grafts adhered with sturgeon glue and wheat starch. These and other similar procedures used to consolidate the backs of the canvasses, such as strengthening the weaker seams, were strengthened with reinforcement thread attached using a thermoplastic adhesive. It was also necessary to apply perimeter strips, which were stuck on with acrylic adhesive.

The cleaning of the pictorial layer was carried out with a buffer solution system with a controlled pH, given the fragility of some pigments.

As for the reintegration of the losses of the preparation layer, this was done with a traditional putty. The gaps in the pictorial layer were filled in with a preliminary layer of watercolour, which was touched up with pigments and varnish.

A final protection layer was applied with a low concentration of a low molecular weight resin, in order to preserve the original appearance. The backs were protected with a non-woven polyethylene fabric as a precautionary conservation measure.

— Marta Vilà

Close-up of a tear being sewn up

Photograph with raking light of the painting of the Amazon Delphina, as it had arrived at the CRBMC. The adhered Japanese paper fragments protect the pictorial layer areas in danger of coming loose

The work, which is part of a set of two portraits (Pau Casals and Marta Casals), is a full-length portrait of Marta Casals Istomin, born Marta Montañez Martínez. Marta Casals is a Puerto Rican cellist and wife of Pau Casals. She is currently vice-president of the Pau Casals Foundation. The author of the painting is Federico Álvarez Des. Very little is known about him; it seems that he was born in Catalonia and went to live in Puerto Rico, where he painted the portraits of Pau and Marta Casals.

According to the analysis, the work is painted on a canvas made of bast fibres. It is made from plain weave cloth with a very regular weave because it is a commercial fabric. The preparation layer is white and thin. The painting technique used in the work is oil and mixed. The artist's brushstroke is dynamic and uses impasto. A surface layer of varnish based on natural resin has been detected. The frame, made of linden wood, is the original and has a bevelled edge with plant-type reliefs.

State of conservation

Prior to the intervention, the work contained deformations, a tear in the fabric and losses in the preparation layer and the pictorial layer, and was suffering from a biological attack caused by fungi due to the environmental conditions of its location. The frame was in a very poor state of conservation, having suffered a major biological attack from xylophagous insects and termites.

The aim of the conservation-restoration intervention was to stabilize the painting and the frame in order to stop its deterioration and, at the same time, improve its readability.

Material/Technique

Oil and mixed technique on canvas

Title/Topic

Portrait of Marta Casals Istomin, wife of Pau Casals

Author

Federico Álvarez Des (Masllorenç, Baix Penedès county 1909 - ? 1971)

Date/Period

20th century

Dimensions

203 × 119.2 × 2 cm (painting) and 223.5 × 128 × 5 cm (frame)

Location

Vil·la Casals-Museu Pau Casals, el Vendrell (Baix Penedès county)

CRBMC Register NO

13430

Coordination Maite Toneu

Restoration

Teresa Schreibweis

Year of restoration

2018

The restoration was carried out according to the criteria of minimum intervention and maximum respect for all the elements that make up the history of the work.

Intervention

The conservation-restoration process began with the attachment of the peeling parts of the preparation and pictorial layers using a synthetic adhesive.

Once the pictorial layer was stabilized, the canvas support and its frame were mechanically cleaned, while the tear on the canvas was fixed by performing microsurgery which involved resewing the fabric using threads extracted from its edges and adhering them with sturgeon glue and wheat starch. The deformations of the fabric were also removed at this stage.

After stabilizing the support, the pictorial layer was mechanically treated with a flat brush to remove fungal spores and surface dirt. The surface of the polychrome was then cleaned using an aqueous system, controlling the pH and ionic concentration.

A traditional putty was used to fill in the gaps. It was given structure to facilitate the pictorial reintegration, which was carried out using an illusion technique, with powder pigments and low molecular weight varnish.

Finally, the frame was strengthened and fixed, and the gaps in it were filled it and levelled off. As a protective measure, a nonwoven polyethylene fabric was placed on the back.

— Teresa Schreibweis

Protection of the tear area with Tetex®

Close-up of the face during the cleaning

Attaching the pictorial layer around the area of the tear Textile microsurgery: sewing thread by thread

Material/Technique

Oil painting

Title/Topic

La mestissa

Author

Hermen Anglada Camarasa (Barcelona, 1871 - el Port de Pollença, 1959)

Date/Period

1890

Dimensions

110 × 74 cm

Location

Storage rooms of the Víctor Balaguer Library Museum, Vilanova i la Geltrú (Garraf county)

CRBMC Register NO

13507

Coordination Maite Toneu

Restoration

Mia Marsé i Sandra Piris (TdArt Heritage Curators, SLU)

Year of restoration

2018

The painting is a copy of the original painted by Juan Luna Novicio in 1887. Both works are currently preserved at the Víctor Balaguer Library Museum (BMVB), in Vilanova i la Geltrú.

In 1887, Víctor Balaguer met Juan Luna during the National Exhibition of the Philippine Islands, in the Retiro Park in Madrid. In gratitude for the support for his artistic career, Juan Luna donated several works to the incipient project of the Library Museum of Vilanova. Of all the paintings donated, this one in particular stands out.

Three years later, a young Hermen Anglada Camarasa, who was beginning his artistic career outside the Barcelona academic circuit, made an exceptional copy of this work.

In private hands until 2016, it then became part of the Balaguer collection. This oil painting, almost identical in size to the original, had been repainted.

State of conservation

An initial visual analysis of work showed that it had undergone at least one prior restoration. This was evident from the repainted parts on the back of the work, located in the upper left corner, where the signature is.

Intervention

The following were the most significant processes carried out:

— Taking of photographs prior to the process. UV and IR images were also taken. Photos taken with UV (ultraviolet) light clearly revealed the repainted areas. repintades són molt evidents. — Removal of the bits. — Consolidation of the support. — Aqueous and chemical cleaning. An aqueous cleaning process was carried out with a pH 8.5 buffer solution. The chemical cleaning to remove the oxidized varnish was done using a mixture of solvents. — Elimination of repainted parts. — Application of a varnish to protect the pictorial layer. — Application of putty to fill in the gaps of the pictorial layer. — Pictorial reintegration. — Frame: cleaning of the gilded polychrome. — Protection of the back of the work. — Final photographs of the work.

The conservation-restoration work followed the criterion of minimum intervention to provide maximum stabilization. However, since the repainted parts were very visible, a more thorough restoration was required to remove some added elements.

The brightness of the colours was restored to the give the work back its original appearance. An inscription hidden under the repainting surrounding the signature was also uncovered.

Current conservation-restoration techniques were applied, using stable materials which were compatible with the work and with each other, in order to guarantee maximum durability, reversibility and readability.

— Mia Marsé (conservator-restorer) — Mireia Rosich (director of the BMVB)

General image of the painting after the intervention

Material/Technique

Oil painting

Title/Topic Various

Author

Caterina Albert i Paradís, known by her pseudonym, Víctor Català (l’Escala, 1869-1966); Joaquim Folch i Torres (Barcelona, 1886 -Badalona, 1963); Y. Riera (?)

Dimensions

Various

Origin

Alfolí de la Sal-Museum of l’Escala and Espai Víctor Català-Clos del Pastor, l’Escala (Alt Empordà county)

CRBMC Register NO

13591 to 13604 and 13607 to 13616

The collection of twenty-four pictorial works belongs to the collection of the Anchovy and Salt Museum (MASLE) of L’Escala, taken from the Clos del Pastor house, former workshop of the writer Caterina Albert (whose pseudonym is Víctor Català). The series, painted in oil on canvas, depicts family members, still lifes and landscapes related to her work Solitude.

State of conservation

The state of conservation of the pieces varied from regular to deficient, although most shared the same alterations. In general, the wooden strainers had suffered attacks from xylophagous insects, there were deformations in the fabric, loss of support of the pictorial layer, gaps, dirt, tears, cracks, etc. One of the most notable alterations was the whitening of certain areas of the pictorial layer, due to the presence of lead soaps.

Intervention

Once transferred to the CRBMC, the works went through the anoxic chamber to be disinfested. The restoration process carried out was quite similar across most of the paintings. The pictorial and preparation layers were reattached in places using a synthetic adhesive. After carrying out the corresponding tests, the pictorial layer underwent aqueous cleaning processes, and only in some cases were solvents used to remove varnishes.

As for the consolidation of the support, the rips in the fabric were sewn up, and grafts and strips were applied where necessary. The deformations of the canvas were reduced, by applying small amounts of moisture and pressure. The pictorial gaps were filled in with traditional putty, and chromatic reintegrations were performed using watercolours or binders with low molecular weight resin, with the aim of creating an illusion.

The most significant treatment was carried out on the carboxylates or lead soaps. This deterioration is caused by the reaction of the white lead present in the preparation layer with the oil, which binds the pictorial layer. It was probably the result of continued exposure to high humidity and sudden changes in temperature during storage.

Thanks to the analyses carried out, it was possible to determine the extent of the alteration and establish the treatment that should be followed after numerous tests. The aim was to reduce the whitening through the application of EDTA as a chelating agent in a gelled buffer solution. The time it was allowed to act was controlled and adapted to the different affected areas and the different pigments, with an average of two minutes of action. Finally, the remaining carboxylates were homogenized with a layer of low molecular weight varnish.

As a preventive preservation process, the backs of the paintings were covered with a breathable synthetic fabric and adherent strip, and some of the pieces were framed with methacrylate, with a UV filter.

Deterioration caused by lead carboxylates and its suitable treatment was a fairly unknown issue until recently. Our analysis of the agents that cause it shows just how important proper storage and display is for the stability of works.

— Maria Brossa and Irene Panadés

Close-up of the painting Housemaid putting on jewellery, before and after the intervention

Close-up of the portrait Bust of a man, before and after the intervention

Material/Technique

Oil painting

Title/Topic

Gallery of portraits of the counts and counts-kings of Catalonia-Aragon

Author

Filippo Ariosto (Bolonya, 1560 - ?, 1640)

Date/Period 1587-1588

Origin

Art collection of the Ministry of the Presidency, Palau de la Generalitat (Barcelona); Montjuïc Castle Military Museum (Barcelona), and National Art Museum of Catalonia (Barcelona)

Location

12 portraits in the Sala dels Tarongers of the Palau de la Generalitat (Barcelona), 2 portraits in the Museum of the History of Catalonia

This collection of forty-three paintings of the portraits of counts and count-kings of Catalonia-Aragon, the work of the painter Filippo Ariosto, is one of the oldest royal galleries in Europe preserved almost entirely.

In 1587, the Diputació del General commissioned this Italian painter to make the portraits to decorate the Sala Gran del Consistori of the Palau de la Generalitat. With the Nueva Planta decrees, the set of paintings was moved to the Palau de Justícia, and in 1963 it was relocated to the Military Museum, where it remained until this closed in 2009.

Since 2018, twelve portraits have been installed in the Sala dels Tarongers of the Palau de la Generalitat; and two more portraits are on display in the permanent room of the Museum of the History of Catalonia. The conservation-restoration project of the rest of the collection is currently ongoing.

State of conservation

This is a series of oil-paintings on a layer of coloured primer/ preparation layer and a bast fibre canvas base, with a taffetatype weave. They are mounted on a fixed frame.

All were restored during historical interventions that were too invasive. They contained large repainted areas and thick layers of irregularly applied resins, in most cases to disguise losses and areas with erosion of the pictorial layer, caused by overly aggressive cleaning. All the original backs had been relined traditionally with flour paste or animal glue. These paintings may have originally been larger, as evidenced by the way in which certain elements are cut-off abruptly, such as many of the hands or arms.

Intervention

Following a principle of minimal intervention, it was decided that only the relinings that were in poor condition or that caused damage to the original fabric would be removed; the rest were preserved with the application of consolidation treatments in places, where necessary. The consolidation consisted of a set of processes to minimize deformations, sutures, grafts and, in some cases, the addition of perimeter reinforcements to re-tension the fabrics properly.

All the original strainers were preserved, but the structure was repaired where they were broken or weakened in parts.

The pictorial surface of the portraits was treated by removing, where necessary, the oxidized and thick resins and all the invasive repainted areas that hid original information. The evolution of the CRBMC’s criteria, with an ongoing search for treatments in line with the latest advances in the field of cleaning, is reflected in this collection: the first paintings we pioneered the use of the pH-controlled solutions test and the solvent test with different polarities, while in the last four paintings a new protocol was followed in which the pH and conductivity of the pictorial surface is measured first to then determine the most appropriate cleaning system.

For the presentation system, a protective layer was applied, based on a low molecular weight resin, and a volumetric and chromatic reintegration of the losses and gaps was carried out, with the idea of creating an illusion.

The frames, although not original, were restored and preserved for their useful function of protecting the paintings against environmental dust. The entire back was protected with a non-woven fabric to prevent dust accumulation and consequent moisture condensation, and to cushion the effects of environmental fluctuations in humidity and temperature.

— David Silvestre

Back of the painting after the restoration

CRBMC Register NO

11089, 11091 to 11095, 11099, 11102 to 11104, 11106, 11112, 11124, 11135 to 11137

Coordination Maite Toneu

Restoration

Clara Bailach, Lourdes Domedel, Carla Enrique, Iris Garcia, Núria Lladó, Maria Mayo, Ana Ordóñez, Irene Panadés, Maria Sala, Teresa Schreibweis and David Silvestre

Years of restoration

2010-2019

Back of the painting after the restoration with the corresponding protection General photo after the restoration of the Ermessenda painting Close-up of the painting with raking light, before the restoration